A New Challenge
by hawkjan
Summary: Lots of changes for Jack after season 3; a new boss, a new assignment, a sexy FBI agent, and someone from his past reappears. But who can he trust to help him save the day? Equal parts Action Jack & Romantic Jack. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**4 months after Season 3--**

Chloe waited by the front door and fell in step next to Jack as he entered CTU and headed towards his office, "Jack, Hammond called. They've found a new director to replace Tony, starting today. Guess you're out as interim director."

Jack stopped and faced her, "I don't know anything about a new director." Chase overheard the conversation and joined them in the middle of the bullpen.

She handed him a thin folder. "This is all I have." She recited from memory. "Chris Henry. 48 years old, transferring from Dallas CTU as director for the past four years."

"Dallas? What the hell happens in Dallas?"

Chloe answered caustically, "How do I know, I don't live there."

Jack looked at the meager information the folder provided, closed it, then massaged the area between his eyes. "Great, another bureaucratic suit trying to climb the ladder. He's not going to know a terrorist from my grandmother."

Chloe added, "He's divorced and has a twenty five year old son, also a CTU analyst. He'll probably want my job."

Chase shared a smile with Chloe, then said, "Jack, go easy on this one, ok? They don't last long around here, especially with you around. I'm going to have to warn him not to go flying with you."

Jack gave him a long look, "Watch it kid, or I'll take off the other hand." Chase looked down at his braced hand and tried to move the fingers. Jack winced with regret at the last remark, "Sorry, how's the rehab going?"

"It's ok. And it's not your fault, Jack." Jack stared at the ground, then looked away, anywhere but at Chase. He still felt guilty for disfiguring the boy. Chase smiled wryly, then added, "I would have done the same thing to you."

Jack looked up and caught Chase's smile and almost smiled himself. "So when is this Henry scheduled to arrive?" He glanced at his watch.

"Any minute now. Hammond is personally escorting him to show him the ropes."

"Call me when he arrives." Jack turned to go up the stairs to Field Ops when someone called his name, "Jack!"

It was Hammond. A solemn looking short man in an ill-fitting cheap suit stood to his right, and a fairly attractive, taller mature blonde woman flanked his left. "Jack, I'd like you to meet Chris Henry."

Jack put his hand out to the man as the entourage approached. "Mr. Henry, good to meet you."

The woman stepped forward and put out her hand, "I'm Christine Henry. You must be Jack Bauer, I've heard a lot about you."

Jack quickly recovered from his blunder and shook her hand firmly. She was medium height, on the slender side with short cropped, no-nonsense dark blonde hair. She was attractive, with her intense blue eyes steeled on him. Jack got the feeling she was tougher than she looked.

"I wish I could say the same." Jack gave Hammond a cross look. He introduced Chloe and Chase, who both shook her hand.

She searched her mind, "Chloe O'Brien? You're the one who averted the disastrous worm set loose in the computer system by a former agent, right?" She gave Jack a sharp look. Apparently, she knew more than just what happened in Dallas.

Chloe looked pleased, at least someone appreciated her work, "Yes, that was me. You see I isolated—"

Hammond interjected, "Chris will be taking over Tony's position. She has complete authority here, Jack, so listen to her. I trust her and so should you."

Jack replied, not taking his eyes from hers, "Well, she has to earn it first."

Chris returned Jack's stare, an almost he-who-blinks-first-loses kind of look. Hammond put his hand on her back and said, "Chris, let me show you to your office and introduce you around."

She turned to leave and addressed Jack again, "We'll talk, soon." Then walked off quickly with Hammond and the unnamed suit in her wake.

Jack just stared after her. Chase grinned and said, "I guess you can disregard orders from a woman just as easily as you can a man. I guess that means you're back to field ops."

"Shut up, Chase. Get back to work." Jack stormed off and stomped up the stairs to his office.

Chloe frowned at Jack's back, "Well, I liked her."


	2. Chapter 2

Jack's head rested in his hands. Something nagged at the back of his brain, but it stayed just out of grasp. He was in a foul mood, and he couldn't exactly put his finger on the reason. He had expected them to replace Tony at some point and had known his days as interim director were limited. Something about this new director wasn't right.

The news of his replacement shouldn't have been a shock, but for some unexplainable reason, it was. The arrival of Christine Henry from Dallas marked the official end of Tony's reign at CTU. Granted, Tony had been gone for four months now, but it had never seemed final till now.

So many changes in so little time. Chase was true to his word and left field ops for a desk job and Kim had moved in with him to help raise Angela. President Palmer was also true to his word and did not seek reelection. After Tony's arrest and subsequent pardon by the outgoing President, Michelle and Tony both left CTU for good. They wisely embraced their second chance together and chose safer professions in the private sector.

Even Jack himself had changed. He entered a methadone program and faced his drug addiction head on. With support from his friends and Kim, he was able to successfully overcome his problem and had been back at work full-time for almost three months.

The phone next to him rang, jolting him from his reverie. "CTU, Bauer."

"Jack, it's Chris, could you come by my office for a minute? I'd like to have that talk now."

Jack rubbed his eyes, "Sure. I'll be down in a minute."

He knocked lightly on her door, "Hey." He noticed that she had already made Tony's office her own with some personal photographs. With eyebrows raised, he asked, "Making yourself comfortable?"

"Yeah, have a seat." She pointed to a chair.

"I'd rather stand." She stood up and closed the door behind him and took up a stance in front of him.

"Ok Jack, let's just get this out in the open. I am not going to engage in some pissing contest with you. I've read your file, I know that you have had problems with authority in the past."

"I don't have a problem with authority, I have a problem with stupidity. There's a difference."

"Jack, I'm on your side, I am not here to baby-sit you. But you have to keep me in the loop. I do not like to be kept in the dark where my agents are concerned. I can't have you going off half-cocked and putting yourself and other agents at risk." She picked up his thick file and thumbed through it. "That's how people get killed, and I see you've got quite a body count going already."

He pointed at her, his tone defensive. "Everything that I have ever done on this job has been to protect this country as well as my family. "

She didn't flinch, but stood toe to toe with him. "And I'm here for the same reason. I don't care about covering my ass, let Hammond and Division handle that. There are terrorists out there and I want to stop them just as much as you do. But I can't do my job if you shut me out."

"Just let me do my job, and you do yours." Jack's words had lost their hard edge.

"I know your history at CTU, Jack. All of it. Drugs, severed limbs, prison riots, Nina, your wife, your daughter. Mason, Chappelle. Frankly, I don't know why you are even still here. You've given up a lot Jack. Some would say too much."

Jack studied the floor and said in an aggravated voice, "What's your point?" He would not discuss his painful history with her now.

"You're reckless, but you get results. I think we can work together, if you'll just give me a chance."

"Fine, but don't get in my way. In the field, I'm in command. Remember that."

"Deal. But here, I'm in command."

He turned to leave and opened the opaque glass door, "Is that all?"

"One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Off the record." She glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "But if I were in your shoes, I would have blown Nina away a long time ago."

Jack gave her a short incredulous stare and walked out. He wasn't sure why he had gone in there with his claws out, but he didn't think it had anything to do with her being a woman. If she had been a man, he thought he would have given him the same attitude.

However, she had surprised him, especially with that last comment. He had expected a by-the-book bureaucrat like Chappelle and Hammond, but she seemed to be a straight shooter. It still remained to be proven, but he would give her a chance.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jack?" Chase's voice called out from the speakerphone next to him a couple of hours later.

"Yeah."

"Henry wants all department heads in the conference room, now." Chase, who had taken over Michelle's position as second in command, was enjoying his newfound bossiness and power.

"Do you know what this is about? Did any protocols come in?"

"Not that I know of. But she's been on the phone all morning. Better come down."

"She didn't waste any time." He sighed. "Ok, be there in a minute."

He was the last to enter the cramped conference room. "Glad you could finally join us, Jack," Chris Henry said in a false cheerful tone. She was annoyed with him; apparently her talk with him hadn't convinced him and he still didn't trust her.

"I just got a call from Homeland Security. Seems some old friends of yours are back in circulation, Mr. Bauer."

"What are you talking about?"

Chris tapped a few keys and an image came up on the overhead screen. "Recognize him?" Jack studied the picture and slowly nodded, then rubbed his forehead.

"Jose Salazar. After the death of Hector and Ramone, apparently their oldest cousin took up the reigns of the family business and began where they left off. After the virus disaster and the shootout with the Delta teams, we had thought the Salazars were shut down. What we didn't know was that Jose was just as involved in their business as they were."

Jack shook his head, "No, he wasn't. He was just a kid, a soldier. Hector and Ramone didn't involve him in any of the decisions, they didn't trust him. He wasn't even around very much."

"That 'kid' is twenty three years old and now very dangerous." She looked him in the eyes. "Apparently they didn't trust you, Jack. He was very involved." Jack broke their gaze and averted his eyes. Memories of the Salazars and his time with them were not ones he wanted to revisit.

"How could he have gotten it back up and running so quickly?" Chase asked. "We killed or captured most of their men the day of the virus."

"He has taken control of another existing cartel and branched out, he moved operations to the states; running guns, drugs, and is now rumored to be funding terrorists. HomeSec has been watching him for the past couple of months, but they have no hard evidence, so far."

Jack's anger was evident, "And we're just finding out about this now?"

"Yes. We were intentionally kept out of the loop, but I haven't gotten any answers as to why yet. HomeSec has been coordinating all Intel with the FBI. They're running the show. Seeing as how Annicon is dead, you're the one with the most information on them, and now they want your help."

Jack just shook his head, angry, "They cut us out and now they want my help. Figures." Competition and turf wars were legendary between branches of the government agencies. The FBI and CIA were continually withholding information from each other, resulting in catastrophes that could have been prevented.

Chris nodded, "And you're going to give it to them. As of today, you are officially part of their task force." She threw a thin file across the table towards him as he looked up at her, surprised. "You are reporting to a Sam Murphy, FBI. You are due downtown at their headquarters by five p.m. to meet the team and get your assignment. Everyone else will gather as much Intel as they can and filter it to the feds, everything we've got on the Salazars. We are in a supportive role here only people. Let's get on it."

As everyone began to file out of the room, Chris motioned to Jack, "Can I talk to you a minute?"

He hung back and folded his arms across his chest. "This stinks, Chris, and you know it. Something else is going on. Why keep CTU out of it? It doesn't make sense."

She nodded, "I agree. And I'm working on it. It would seem that someone didn't want you involved. I don't trust them and they don't trust us. So share what you have to, but don't give away the farm, got it?"

Jack stared at his new boss, he was beginning to like her tenacity. For a brief moment, she reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place it before the memory was gone. "Got it." He glanced down at the folder she had given him, "You know anything about this Murphy?"

"No, not really." She glanced at her watch, "You better get going."

"Yeah, thanks."

He turned to leave when she said, "Oh, and Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep me updated. Officially, you temporarily work for them. Unofficially, I'll help you out when I can, but I need to know what's going on. Oh and try to keep the body count to a minimum."

Jack didn't reply and just walked out of the room. He would get this meeting over with, then he really needed a drink.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack made it to the FBI building in twenty minutes and checked in and handed over his weapon. They were expecting him and he was given a visitors badge and led back past a series of cubicles and offices into a small conference room and told to wait.

He looked at his watch, he had been waiting for over twenty minutes and was growing impatient. He got up to leave, when the door opened abruptly. A tall but muscular kid in his mid twenties motioned to Jack, "Let's go."

Jack got up to follow, "You Murphy?"

"Nope."

"Look, I'm supposed to be meeting Sam Murphy. Why don't you just tell me what I'm doing here?"

"Just come with me please."

Jack stopped in the middle of the hall, arms crossed across his chest. "I was told to be here by five. I was here. Then you kept me waiting for over twenty minutes. I deserve to know what's going on."

The agent stopped and shrugged his broad shoulders. "I'm just following orders. I was told to bring you over, so I'm bringing you. Let's go." He kept walking and Jack had no choice but to follow.

He led Jack to yet another conference room, this one slightly larger than before. A short pudgy man in glasses sat at the table surrounded by computer equipment and mountains of folders. He got up and introduced himself, "Mickey Phelps, Intel Analyst. Have a seat."

"What am I doing here?"

"We'll get to that." Mickey asked Jack hundreds of questions about his time in with the Salazars. He was shown pictures and asked to identify members of the cartel. Jack played along for over an hour, then he was fed up. "Look, I've answered all your questions. I'm hungry, I could really use a drink, and no one will tell me what's going on. I'm not saying anything else until I talk to this Murphy." Jack leaned back in his chair.

Mickey took one look at Jack and knew he wasn't going to get anything else useful out of him. He grabbed the phone and dialed a few numbers. He spoke softly into the phone, although Jack could still make out his words. "He wants to see Murphy. I know. It's not going to be easy. Okay."

"They'll be down to get you in a minute."

A couple of minutes later, the same tall agent escorted him out of the room. "Follow me."

"Are you taking me to Murphy?"

"Yeah. Sam just went out in the field on a lead, I'll be driving you over there." He stopped at a locked closet and opened it. He took out a flak jacket and handed it to Jack, "You'll need this. Do you have a weapon?"

"Yeah, but they confiscated it when I signed in."

"No time, you'll just have to use this." He handed Jack a Sig Sauer, then grabbed a jacket for himself. "Let's go." The agent hurried along the corridor to the parking garage and got in a tan sedan. Jack slipped in next to him.

"Where are we going?"

"Westwood. Lead on Salazar." They rode the rest of the way in silence. By the time they finally made it through traffic to their destination, the sun was setting in front of them. They parked in an alley and got out of the car. The agent whispered to Jack, "Stay back. Murphy and the others should be in the next alley over."

Jack smiled as the kid told him what to do, as if he was a rookie. This kid couldn't be over twenty-five. He nodded toward the gun, "Have you ever shot that thing, kid?" Jack rolled his eyes when he noticed the kid's safety was still engaged.

"You mean outside of the shooting range?" Jack nodded. He looked at the ground and answered softly, "No, not yet."

He pushed the kid lightly back against the car, "Then let me lead. You stay right behind me and do what I say. And take off your safety." He looked the kid up and down again and added, "Don't shoot me, either. What's your name, kid?"

"James Temple."

They kept close to the wall and Jack snuck a look around the corner. He counted three agents, two men and a woman, in the adjacent alleyway. He whispered, "How many are we expecting?"

"Three - Murphy, Ramirez, and Denton."

"Ok, got em. Let's go." He stood upright and walked out into the alleyway to join the other agents.

The woman turned around with her gun drawn just as they entered the alleyway. She recognized Temple and nodded to him. She lowered her gun and walked over to Jack and extended her hand, "You must be Bauer." He nodded and shook her hand. She pointed at the Hispanic man who nodded back at Jack, "That's Ramirez. And Denton." She motioned to the other man, a dark haired athletic man in his thirties.

As she was about to introduce herself, she glanced up behind Jack. She threw herself at Jack and landed on top of him, tackling him to the ground. "Sniper. Take cover!" A bullet whizzed past them and struck where they had been standing just moments before. The other agents scrambled for cover while Jack's instincts took over and he immediately hugged her close and rolled her over, covering her body with his. They were now hidden by a dumpster and judging by the trajectory of the bullet, Jack hoped out of range of the sniper. But there could be more.

He whispered to her, "Are you ok?" She nodded and tried to get up. He pushed her back down with his body. "No, wait. It's getting too dark, I can't see if there are any more." Jack picked up a rock and threw it against the opposite wall from their position. A shot rang out in the fading twilight and hit the wall. "Did you see where Temple went?"

She looked him in the eyes, his face mere inches from hers, and shook her head. Despite the fading light, she was able to make out his face. He was ruggedly handsome, with faint lines at his eyes and a day's growth of beard on his face. The body that covered hers was hard and athletic, causing a stir in her belly. He looked away down the alley, then back at her. He caught her staring at him, and they studied each other's eyes for a moment. The moment was broken as two more shots rang out across the alley.

Somebody moaned.

Jack whispered to Sam, "Do you have a cell phone?" She nodded, but couldn't reach it because she was still pinned under him. "Cover me, then call for back up and an ambulance. I'm going to look for Temple. The sniper is on this side of the alley, probably directly above us."

Jack rose to his knees, and peeked around the dumpster. He crawled back over to Sam, who sat up and had her gun ready. He searched her eyes for a moment, gave her an encouraging smile that made her heart beat faster and then nodded back at her. She pointed up and opened fire. Jack bolted from his position towards the moans at the end of the alley.

He found Temple hiding behind an air conditioning unit about halfway down the alley. "Are you ok?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly, just staring at the ground. "Hey kid, stay with me here. You're going to be fine." Temple looked up at Jack, finally acknowledging his presence. Jack checked his weapon and looked over at the scared kid. "On my mark, shoot up in that direction and then follow me." Temple nodded again, this time a little more enthusiastically. Jack grinned and added, "But make sure you aim up, or you'll shoot your boss."

Sam watched as Jack ran off down the alley. She should be the one to go after her team. After all, she was in command of this task force. She chastised herself for taking his orders without question, but he had distracted her when he was lying on top of her and left her brain muddled and nearly speechless. It would not happen again.

Sam quickly called in the cavalry, then ordered herself to get it together. She had scrutinized Jack Bauer's file, knew of his propensity to go off on his own, to take risks. He was here to help them get Salazar, and that was it. He was a maverick, and she would not allow herself to fall for another one of those.

She had not had a significant relationship in many years, and promised herself that no matter how lonely she was or how handsome he was, she would not fall for Jack Bauer. Her instinct told her he was trouble, and from now on, she would be completely professional. Her job was her life, she couldn't have attachments like normal people.

Jack and James ran toward the other end of the alley, successfully dodging several bullets aimed at them. They found Ramirez huddled over Denton's body, applying pressure to a wound in his leg. "Just hang on, backup's on the way." Sirens could be heard in the distance.

Jack searched the darkness of the alley for Sam.

_Introducing Angie Harmon (Law & Order) as Samantha "Sam" Murphy_

_Introducing Shane West (A Walk to Remember) as James Temple_


	5. Chapter 5

Several squad cars arrived, followed by a team of FBI agents and several ambulances. They searched the buildings surrounding the alley, but came up empty. The shooters were long gone. Denton was attended to and loaded into an ambulance, he would be fine, but out of commission for a while.

Jack was questioned by the FBI goon squad and let go. He searched the alleyway and found Sam at the end of the alley involved in an intense conversation with another agent. He could hear her shouts occasionally above all the other noise, but couldn't make out any specific words. He looked for Agent Temple.

The young agent was sitting with his back against the wall, head in his hands. Jack walked over and sat down next to him, stretching his arms out on his bent knees. "You going to be okay kid?"

"Do you ever get used to this?"

"If you get used to it, you're dead. But it does get easier."

"Maybe I'm not cut out to be an agent after all."

"Maybe not. But you did well, you're still alive, right?" Temple lifted his head and looked over at Jack and nodded. "Next time, you will know what to expect, and you will follow your training and instincts. If you can't do that, you need to find another profession, or you put everyone else in danger." He felt sorry for the kid, he almost reminded him of himself on his first mission many years ago.

Sam finished her verbal sparring with her commanding officer, Walter Gibson, an angry balding man in his mid forties. To say the least, he was not happy that she went in without backup and an agent was shot. But mostly, he was still against her decision to involve Jack Bauer.

He kept things strictly by the book, and had no tolerance for breaking the rules. Sam couldn't stand him and his near-sightedness. She wasn't one to go against the grain either, but if something needed to be done, she had been known to bend the rules every once in a while.

Jack's reputation for breaking rules and literally getting away with murder had preceded him, and he told her that the higher ups in the Bureau didn't want him involved in the investigation. Sam had fought with her superiors to include him, since he was the most knowledgeable when it came to the Salazars. She had even taken personal responsibility for his actions. Now Gibson wanted to place all the blame for the shooting on Jack. Sam's career was now on the line.

She looked over at Jack, who seemed to be comforting Agent Temple with his words. She had been worried when the rookie was assigned to her team, but so far he hadn't made any real mistakes. Temple was looking at Jack with awe. Great, just what she needed was to have her agent following his example. She would have to have a talk with Temple.

She walked over to Jack and Temple, "Can we get a cup of coffee and talk?"

Agent Temple spoke up, "I would love one." He caught her glare, and suddenly changed his mind, "You know what, I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna head home." He got up and walked away. "See you tomorrow boss. Jack."

Jack needed answers that only Sam could give him. He looked around, then up at her, "Sure." He got up and followed her to her car, a government issue black Chevrolet Tahoe.


	6. Chapter 6

Since it was now after midnight, they found an all night diner in Westwood and sat in a booth in the back. Sam ordered coffee, but Jack was famished and ordered a full breakfast with eggs and pancakes.

Jack had many questions for her, but sensed that she had something she wanted to say. He sipped his coffee and waited for her to begin. She opened her mouth to speak just as the waitress delivered his food. She closed her mouth and took another gulp of coffee.

Sam tried not to stare at Jack while he ate. Knowing what she knew about him didn't help, how could this man go through so much and still manage to do this job. She knew about his wife, daughter, his drug problem, everything. She felt a stirring of compassion for him, but knew she had to put that aside and focus on the job. Finally, she blurted out, "This is my task force and I'm in charge."

Jack put his fork down and stared at her intently. "Then tell me why I'm here, Sam."

His stare made her uneasy and her heart began beating rapidly at the way he said her name. This was not going as she had planned. She intended to remind Jack that this was her investigation and he was here only in an informational capacity. Instead, she was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. "Information. I need to get Jose Salazar and you are the closest I have to an inside source."

"Tell me what you have, and I'll try and fill in the gaps."

She shook her head. "Can't do that. It was made clear to me that you are strictly on a need to know basis. Right now, you don't need to know."

He leaned towards her, lowered his voice and pointed at her, "Listen, I gave up over a year of my life going undercover to get the Salazars. I'm sure you're aware that I ended up with a nasty habit and a hotel full of dead people. So don't talk to me about 'need to know.'"

Sam tried to act unmoved by his words. She could not let him push her around, although just being this close to him was affecting her brain. She chose her next words carefully, she wanted to pierce that hard exterior. "Oh, I know all about you, Jack."

He leaned back in the booth and frowned at her. He said quietly, "You don't know anything." She opened her mouth for a retort, but nothing came out. Instead she picked up her coffee and sipped it. This was not going well.

Jack studied her while she drank. Although not blatantly beautiful, she was attractive in a natural way, with her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail and her face not overly made up. She was slender with an athletic build, something he noticed while he lay on top of her earlier. Her best feature was her bright blue eyes, which contrasted with her dark hair and made them shine.

He quickly shook off the thought; he didn't want to admit to himself that he had felt an instant attraction to her in that alleyway. Jack had no desire to go down that road again. He was better off alone, as his failed relationship with Kate could attest to.

"Jack?"

He snapped back to the present, "Yeah?"

"Are you done?"

He looked down at his plate; it was empty. He nodded. "Come on, I'll drop you off at your car." She got up, threw some money on the table and walked out of the diner. He followed, trying to keep his gaze off her back.


	7. Chapter 7

"Jack, where are you?"

"On my way back over to the FBI. I need a favor."

"I heard about what happened last night. I've already gotten an earful from the feds, they aren't happy. Why do you always get shot at everywhere you go?"

"Chris, I don't like it. They won't let me in the investigation. I've been reduced to an informant. I need some information on this Sam Murphy."

"Jack, I don't know, I can't go snooping around one of their agents."

"Just get what you can. I need something I can use against her." Her? Chris's eyebrows raised when she found out Murphy was a woman.

She sighed, "I'll do what I can, but Jack, watch yourself. I got the feeling someone is gunning for you over there."

"I can take care of myself. Get back to me." Jack hung up the phone and turned into the FBI parking garage. He went through the same process as yesterday and was led to the same conference room. However, this time, Sam came in to get him almost immediately. "Follow me."

Jack got up to follow Sam, again trying to keep his gaze above her waist. "So, are you going to tell me what you know?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Like I said, 'need to know only'."

Jack didn't reply, but thought to himself, 'We'll see about that'.

She led him into yet another, larger conference room and shut the door. "The others will join us in a minute, we're getting a replacement for Denton. I wanted to talk to you before they come in though. Sit down."

Jack didn't sit and instead stepped in front of her, his face in front of hers. "You are going to include me in this investigation, or I'm out of here." He challenged her with his gaze, and their eyes locked.

Sam's knees almost buckled being so close to him again. She told herself to get it together. Every time he got near her, she blabbered like a love struck idiot. What was wrong with her? Men didn't usually have the affect on her that this one did. She was a tough FBI agent, this was her job, her life on the line. Jack's phone rang, breaking the intense stare off between them.

He looked down and grabbed his phone, "Excuse me, I have to take this." She nodded as he answered, "Bauer."

Chris asked, "You ready?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Ok, here's what I got. Samantha Murphy, 33 years old. Dad was a fed, retired after 30 years on the job. Only child. Mother deceased. Three years in LAPD a couple years after college, transferred to the Bureau five years ago. Working her way up, she hit a snag when she was caught in an affair with her married boss. This is her first lead assignment."

Jack studied her as he listened, "Are you sure?"

"That's what it says. It doesn't make sense. Why would they put something this big in her lap?"

He didn't take his eyes off of Sam. "That's what I'm going to find out."

"Jack, be careful on this one. I'll keep digging, but something is definitely going on."

"Yeah, copy that." He closed his phone and sat down. Sam was thankful he had backed off because she could breathe again.

"Something wrong?" She didn't like the way he was looking at her.

"Why did you bring me in here?"

She shook her head and sat opposite him. "I told you, I need information."

"I know what you told me. Why was CTU not involved in this investigation from the beginning?"

She looked down at the table and studied her hands. "I don't know, I wasn't told." This had bothered her at the time, but she was so excited about getting her first lead assignment, she didn't question it.

"Is this your first lead?"

Sam's temper was rising, "Yes, but I've earned it. I am a damn good agent, Bauer. Look, I had to fight to get you in here. You don't exactly have the best reputation around here. I had to agree to take responsibility for everything you do."

"And why do you think that is?"

"Because they don't trust you."

He lowered his voice a little, smiled at her and asked, "But do they trust you? I'd be willing to bet you that the agent they send to replace Denton is either another rookie or a screw up."

"Why would they do that?"

Jack looked around the room for recording devices or cameras and although he didn't see any, he didn't trust that they weren't there. He rose and circled around to her side of the table, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I think they want you to fail."

Ignoring the goose bumps that shot down her arm from his breath on her ear, Sam stood up quickly and faced him again. Her temper flared, "What are you talking about?"

Jack put his finger over his pursed lips then pointed at the walls. "I think we should discuss this over dinner."

She looked around the room, she had never thought about the office being bugged before, but his caution made her nervous. "Dinner?" She wasn't sure she was ready to be alone with him again, she didn't trust herself. Despite every rational thought in her head telling her not to, she nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam was handed another surprise when her newest team member showed up to the meeting. Not only did they assign her a rookie, but she was also a woman. And even worse, she was blonde, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde. Jack gave Sam an 'I told you so' grin that angered her. She hated that he was right. But if he was right about that, could he be right that they were setting her up to fail. If so, why?

Sam usually didn't have a problem with women agents. After all, she was one. But she definitely had a problem with this one. Jenni with an "i" seemed more interested in flirting with the male agents than solving the case. She made eyes at Jack throughout the meeting, which angered Sam even more. Temple couldn't keep from drooling all over the table at her either. Her team had disintegrated before her eyes.

By the end of the day, Sam was in a foul mood. She took a minute to do some research in her office, then returned to the conference room to get Jack for their dinner. After the day she had, she was looking forward to hearing more of what Jack had to say. Her instincts told her to listen to him, despite the warnings her superiors gave her.

She peered through the open door of the room to find Jenni standing close to Jack against the table, "Oh, that must have been just awful for you. You poor man."

Sam rolled her eyes and was about to just leave, when Jack caught her eye over Jenni's shoulder and mouthed, "Help me." Sam had a mind to leave him here with Barbie, but though better of it, she really wanted to hear him out. She cleared her throat and said, "Uh, sorry to tear him away, but Jack and I have a meeting we have to get to."

Jenni stuck out her lip, "If you must. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." She ran her hand down his arm as she turned and flipped her hair for Jack. She gave Sam a cold glare as she passed.

Sam sighed and turned to leave. Jack ran to catch up to her and for some reason felt the need to explain, "Sam, wait. I'm sorry. Jenni cornered me in there. What was I supposed to do?"

She stopped in the middle of the hall and faced him, "You're a big boy Jack, it's your business. But I'd stay away from her if I were you, I know her type."

He grinned at her obvious attempt to warn him off of Jenni. What she didn't know was that she didn't have to. He had never been attracted to women like that. "She's my daughter's age. I was just being nice."

She only nodded, unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Let's go."

They got in her Tahoe and she turned to him and asked, "I did some checking and you were right. Jenni has been with the Bureau exactly one year. Are you going to tell me how you knew they would assign a rookie?"

Jack put his finger to his lips again. He was concerned there might be listening devices in her car also. "So, where are we going?"

"I know an Italian joint not far from here. It's small and quiet."

Jack smiled and nodded at her. Just as Sam pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant, her cell phone rang. "Murphy."

"Right now?" A pause. "Yeah, I'm with Bauer now." A longer pause. "Yeah, ok, we'll check it out."

She turned to Jack, "We got a possible ID on Salazar. Gibson wants us to check it out."

Alarm bells went off in Jack's head. "What about the rest of the team? Is he sending backup?"

She shook her head, "Nope. He said it's probably nothing, but we're just supposed to take a look, and let them know if we find anything. We get anonymous tips all the time that don't pan out. I'm sure it's just routine."

"I hope you're right, but I got a bad feeling about this."


	9. Chapter 9

Sam parked the Tahoe a block away from the apartment address she was given on Jack's orders. They both put on Kevlar vests and grabbed extra clips from the back. "I don't like this, I think we're being set up." Sam shrugged slightly and gave him a look that said she didn't have a choice. He surveyed their surroundings and pointed to a narrow walkway between buildings. "Ok fine, they'll probably expect us to come from over there, so we'll come from the other way."

"You stay back and cover me while I go check it out. Stay out of sight." Sam just nodded. She briefly considered trying to take command, but realized it was most likely pointless. It was hard to argue with Jack, he naturally took command in situations like this.

Sam followed Jack toward the apartment building. She watched him slink along the side of the building, gun drawn, and she couldn't help but think again how sexy he was. She hit her head with her hand, and whispered to herself, "You're losing it Murphy. You can't think of him like that." Although she had thought of little else since she the night she met him and felt his hard body covering hers.

She watched as Jack cautiously entered a small courtyard and looked around him. Sam flinched and crouched back behind a bush as two shadows rushed up on Jack from either side and aimed their guns at his head. Jack didn't have a chance to get a shot off.

The figure on the right sneered at Jack in a distinct Mexican accent, "Drop the gun, nice and easy now." Jack did as he was told and put up his hands, just as the other one aimed a flashlight in Jack's face. "Oh, look who we have here Juan, it's Jack Bauer. We haven't seen you since Mexico, ese."

"You're right Filipe, it is the infamous Jack Bauer. Hey Jack, can we interest you in a hit, just like old times?" They snickered at each other.

Jack turned his head slightly to get a look at the guys and thought he recognized them from the ranch, but couldn't be sure. He had tried to block out most of that time. Jack forced himself to answer through clenched teeth, "No, I'm clean."

Juan laughed, "Sure you are amigo. No one is clean in this business. Hey, Jose wanted to thank you personally for killing Hector and Ramone, you saved him the trouble. Too bad you won't live long enough to hear it."

"It's the least I could do. Now why don't you take me to him so we can get on with this?"

Juan laughed again, "Sorry, ese. We were told to kill you and the girl. Now where is she?"

Jack closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "What girl?"

Filipe punched Jack in the gut, then yelled at him, "We were told to kill two people, you and a woman. Now where is she?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Jack was doubled over in pain.

Sam crept up behind Felipe and put her gun to his head, "He means me." She cocked her gun. "Federal Agent, now drop your weapon!"

Felipe started to put his hands up slowly, and as he was raising the hand with the gun, he reached out and clocked Sam in the side of the head with it. "Sam, no!" Jack screamed. Sam fell hard to the ground, dazed. He moved quickly and punched Juan, knocking the gun out of his hand. Juan punched back and knocked the wind out of Jack. As he fought for air, he ran at Juan and tackled him to the ground. They fought, punching and kicking, rolling around on the ground.

Filipe ignored Sam's unconscious body on the ground and turned to aim at Jack, "Juan, move, I can't get a clear shot at Jack." Sam opened her eyes. She had played a hunch that Felipe would only kill her after shooting Jack and had pretended to be out cold. When he turned his back, she stood up and brought the pistol down on his head as hard as she could. Felipe never saw the butt of the gun that knocked him out. Then, dizziness overcame her so she sat down and tried to aim the gun at Juan with shaky hands.

Jack gained the upper hand when Juan saw Filipe's body fall and landed a hard blow to his chin. Sam cringed when she heard the bone crack. Jack landed a final blow to Juan's face and knocked him out too. Jack looked over at Sam, who looked dazed and still had her gun pointed at him. He said in a soft voice, "Sam, put the gun down. It's over."

He crawled over to her and leaned in next to her, "Are you hurt?" He took off his overshirt and rolled it into a ball and put it behind her head, "Here, lay down, let me look at you." He gently wiped the trickle of blood off of her face with his thumb. He turned her head to look at the goose egg sized bump on the side of her head. "I don't think it's too bad. We should probably take you to a doctor to get you checked out though." Her skin tingled where he ran his thumb along the side of her face. Their eyes locked again and her heart beat even faster. Another surge of adrenaline rushed through her veins, sending a warming sensation throughout her body. Butterflies danced in her stomach.

Jack was thankful that Sam was still alive, and his mind flooded with conflicting emotions. Teri, Kim, Kate, Nina. No, this was different; she was an agent like him. This was her job, she knew the risks and she had saved his life. She just looked so helpless lying there looking up at him with those blue eyes.

His mind went blank as he leaned in and brushed a lock of her hair away, then placed his hand back on her face and gently moved her lips towards his. He closed his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Her lips parted invitingly, and he deepened the kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Jack's senses returned and he pulled away from her and broke the kiss. He averted his eyes and said softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Sam wasn't sure she could have stopped if he hadn't pulled back, it had been so long since she had been kissed like that. It stung her pride that he obviously regretted it. She sat up, held her head, and tried to get back into agent mode. "I need to call this in."

As she reached for her phone, Jack put his hand on hers. "No, wait. Think about it. They knew we were coming; someone set us up to be killed. If you call it in, they'll know it didn't happen. We need time to think this through."

"Ok, so what do you suggest?"

"Do you have any rope in your car?"

They tied up Juan and Filipe and hid them behind some bushes a block away. By the time someone finds them, they would be long gone. Sam looked at Jack, "Now what?"

He looked her square in the eyes. "We need to sit down and talk."

Sam nodded, "I need a drink, how about my apartment?"

"No, if they come looking for us, it's the first place they'd go."

"I know, I'm house-sitting for my aunt. She has a little house by the beach, and she's in Europe for a month. I also happen to know she has an excellent selection of booze."

She handed the keys to him, "You drive."

The drive was quiet, they didn't want to say anything to give them away just in case someone was listening. Jack parked two blocks over, he didn't want any GPS locators to give them away either. He wasn't sure if her Tahoe was equipped with them, but he had spent enough time as a rogue agent to be careful.

Sam walked in, turned on the lights and headed straight for the alcohol cabinet. She silently thanked her aunt for keeping it well stocked, and picked a large bottle of Jack Daniels and some glasses and sat on the couch. Jack sat next to her and poured their drinks.

She lifted her glass, "Here's to not getting killed. That's two times I've saved your ass now Bauer."

He raised his glass to hers and clinked them together. "Yeah, I owe you." He lifted the glass to his lips and downed the drink in one big swallow. Sam, not to be outdone, did the same. She refilled their glasses.

"You know, for as many stories as I've heard about the mighty Jack Bauer, you're not all that special," she lied straight to his face. There was something special about him, but she wasn't sure what it was just yet, and damned if she couldn't resist it. She did know she wanted to hurt him for rejecting her like that.

He frowned at her, "I know." He quickly changed the subject, "We need to talk about this Sam." Her heart skipped a beat as he said her name. His voice, combined with the warmth of the alcohol was turning her brain to jelly. She downed another shot of the amber liquid.

"We will. I just don't want to think about it for a minute." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "Tell me something, are you always so serious? You do know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." She picked up his glass and handed it to him.

"We were set up tonight."

She sighed, "I know. I'm just having a hard time accepting it." She refilled her drink again and slammed it down. Jack still hadn't touched his second drink.

"So, tell me about this Gibson. He's the one that sent us over there tonight, right?"

"Yeah, but it couldn't have been him. He's strictly by-the-book. He probably makes his wife use a rulebook to have sex. Forget him, he's anal and annoying, but he's no killer."

"Did he assign you to lead the team?"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you have trust issues?"

Jack gritted his teeth. "It comes with the territory."

"Oh, right, I forgot. What was her name? Nina Myers?" Sam looked over at Jack, who had closed his eyes and tightened his jaw. "Is it true you had an affair with her?"

Jack tried to control his anger, and said in an even voice, "Look, we need to figure out who wants us dead and off the investigation. Now, did Gibson assign you to lead the team?"

"Yeah. But I earned it Bauer." Sam's anger was building and the alcohol loosened her tongue, "I've worked my ass off for a lead assignment. I'm a damn good agent, and I can handle any investigation."

"Is that why you had to sleep with your old boss?"

She was taken back, and then her anger boiled over the top. She pointed at him and got up into his face and went in for the kill, "Does it torture you to know that you slept with the woman who killed your wife?" She regretted it the instant she said it. She had only meant to injure him, but she could see the pain she had clear as day on his face.

She backed down, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Jack merely looked at the ground. She placed her hands on either side of his face and lifted his head to make his eyes meet hers. "Jack, I shouldn't have said that. It was cruel." With courage fueled by alcohol, she lifted her head towards his and kissed him gently on the lips.

He instantly responded and added fury to the kiss, sending shock waves all the way down to Sam's toes. He grasped at her and hugged her closer, their kisses turned passionate and their hands began to explore each other's body. He tugged at her shirt in a desperate attempt to get closer to her. She obliged and tore the shirt off over her head.


	11. Chapter 11

He pushed her back on the couch and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her without thinking, letting his body take over. He ran his hands over her silk and lace covered breasts and she moaned with pleasure. He covered her mouth with his and lost himself in the blissful moment. Then he tasted the alcohol on her tongue and was instantly brought back to reality.

He quickly climbed off of her and sat heavily down on the couch at her feet with his face in his hands. He muttered, "I shouldn't have done that."

Sam sat up quickly and retrieved her discarded shirt from the floor and covered herself with it. "You're right. It was a mistake." She put her shirt on, grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels, violently threw open the sliding glass door and stormed out to the deck.

She stood at the railing, letting the ocean breeze blow her hair and cool her burning body. If he didn't want her, why did he keep kissing her like that? Well, it didn't matter, it wasn't going to happen again. She couldn't get involved with anyone, especially not someone like him. Her job required too much time and energy and she couldn't afford to be distracted by lust, or even love for that matter. A house in the suburbs and a loving family was not in the cards for her. She knew that in her head when she accepted the position, but she was having a hell of a time convincing her heart. She took a long drink from the bottle and let the burning liquid dull the hurt and confusion.

Jack closed his eyes and tried to sort out his conflicted feelings. He was attracted to her, no doubt, but he couldn't keep allowing himself get into these situations. He had a job to do, and he was going to do it. Teri, Kate, Claudia; they had all been hurt by him and his job. He was starting to care about Sam and he couldn't let another woman he cared about get hurt.

He let her cool off another minute, then joined her at the railing on the deck. "Sam?"

She looked over at him with a stony face and held out the bottle for him. He shook his head, "Haven't you had enough?"

"I don't take orders from you Bauer. I've had a lousy day. My investigation is a joke, someone is trying to kill us, I got knocked in the head, and I just got rejected. So if you don't mind, I will decide how much is enough, got it?" She took another pull from the bottle just to prove her point. The effects of the alcohol were doing the trick, she was beginning to feel numb and her head stopped throbbing. She sat down on a deck chair, leaned back and closed her eyes.

Jack sat on the chair next to her and rubbed his face with his hands. He faced her and said quietly, "Sam, I didn't reject you."

Sam laughed, but it wasn't genuine. "Yes, you did. Twice."

He steeled his jaw, preparing for a fight that always seemed to escalate between them. "You're injured and drunk, I will not take advantage."

Her tone was sarcastic, "What a gentleman." She sighed, then added, "Apparently, I'm not drunk enough." She took another shot and he grabbed the bottle from her. She gave him an evil glare, then sat back and closed her eyes again.

"Dammit Murphy, I'm attracted to you. It's just too complicated. You know that. You know this job, what it does to you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Don't worry about me Bauer, I can take care of myself. I'm probably even a better shot than you." She didn't open her eyes, they were getting heavy and she was afraid to look into his eyes, of what she might find there.

Jack smiled thinly, "We'll see about that. Right now, we need to concentrate on figuring out who set you up."

Sam nodded and said sleepily, "Uh huh."

Jack touched her arm, "Sam?"

Sam tried to fight the overwhelming need for sleep, "Huh?"

Jack shook his head. He picked Sam up and carried her to the only bedroom in the cottage and laid her gently on the bed. He took off her shoes and brushed the hair away from her face. He just stared at her for a while, wondering for the thousandth time why he had given up so much for his job. When he finally got up to make his bed on the sofa, her arm reached out and grabbed his. "Jack, stay with me, please."

Her hand squeezed his and he relented, "Yeah, okay." He took off his shoes and climbed in bed next to her, fully clothed. She drew his arm around her and snuggled up close to him, her back to his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept with someone so close. He had forgotten how good this type of physical contact felt, he had denied himself for so long. He closed his eyes and tried hard to ignore her body next to his and get some much-needed sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam pried her eyes open and squinted at the sun streaming through the open curtains of the window. She groaned softly. The pounding in her head was immense, she wasn't sure if it was the result of the alcohol or the head injury, probably both.

Jack stirred next to her and threw his arm around her and pulled her close. His deep, even breathing told her he must still be asleep. Oh my god, what happened last night? The last thing she remembered was storming out onto the balcony after his withdrawal from her. Everything after that was just a blur, she didn't even recall how she got into the bedroom.

She could tell they both still had their clothes on, but why was he in bed with her, holding her so close? Against her better judgment, she remained where she was, safely ensconced in Jack's arms. She wanted to feel like a normal person for just a moment, not an agent embroiled in the middle of an investigation, so she tried not to wake him.

Eventually, the sunlight woke Jack too. He opened his eyes and found his arm over Sam, holding her body close to his. He knew he shouldn't have slept here with her, it was too tempting, thinking he could have this type of closeness again. But she had pleaded with him, and he just couldn't say no, not after all they had been through that night. It scared him that he felt so comfortable with her, he needed to get out of here, so he carefully peeled his body away from hers and slipped out of bed.

Jack went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face and looked in the mirror. The same face always stared back at him. The face that knew it was unwise to start down this road again, that knew he had a job to do.

He needed to make a call. Jack went out to the deck and dialed. "CTU, Henry."

"Chris, it's Jack."

"Jack, thank god you're alright. Sam's boss has called looking for you and Murphy. Where are you?"

"We're somewhere safe. Look, someone set us up. They knew we were coming last night. I need your help."

Jack explained what he knew to Chris and they worked up a plan. He wanted to bring the traitor out into the open, and possibly expose Salazar in the process, but he needed Chris to do it. He hoped he could trust her, and she knew it was a leap of faith for Jack to ask for her help.

"Jack, do you know what you are getting into?"

"I can handle it."

"If it does turn out to be who you think, you're going up against the FBI hierarchy."

"Yeah, I know. Call me back with any background you can find on Sam's superiors. And keep it low key, ok?"

"Yeah, no problem. I've already got Chloe working on it. What about Murphy?"

"Don't worry, I can take care of her. She's safe with me."

"Jack, be careful."

Sam walked out on the balcony with two mugs of coffee and overheard the last comment. Jack's back was turned and he didn't know she was listening. Didn't he know by now that she didn't need taking care of?

"I will, thanks. Make sure that no one else finds out about this." He listened for a minute, then ended with, "Copy that." He hung up the phone and stared out at the pounding surf.

She startled him when she walked up behind him and asked, "Make sure no one finds out about what?"

He turned around and noticed her pale complexion. "How are you feeling? You don't look so hot." He went over to her side and examined the blow to her head, "Looks better today. It'll bruise, but I think you'll live."

"Thanks, besides the headache, I'm fine." She handed him the coffee. "Who was that?" She nodded towards his phone.

"My new boss. She is going to help us. I don't trust anyone on your side."

"Are you sure you can trust her?"

"I don't have a choice right now." She sat down, held her pounding head in her hands, and groaned. Jack grinned at her, "I told you not to drink so much."

She scowled and replied, "Dammit Bauer, why do you have to be right about everything?"

He chuckled and took a sip of coffee. Sam swallowed her pride and said, "Jack, I—"at the same time that Jack said, "Sam, look—."They both exhaled a small, nervous laugh and Sam motioned for him to continue. "We don't need to talk about this right now. You drank too much last night, let's just forget it. We need to focus on the investigation."

She nodded, thankful that he let her off so easily, "Yeah, ok. You have a plan?"

Jack sat down next to her, "Yeah."

Sam nodded and listened to his plan, adding her opinion and suggestions. When he finished, she asked, "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"No, but we don't really have a choice. Unless you want to face Juan and Filipe again, we have to find out who is behind this and use them to get to Salazar."

Sam stood up, "Alright, but I definitely need a change of clothes and a fistful of aspirin first. Can we stop by my apartment?"

Jack was relieved that the tension between them had abated a little. They locked the beach house and found the truck on the next block over. They stopped at Jack's first so he could shower and get a fresh set of clothes. Sam wandered around his tiny apartment and looked at several pictures of his daughter he had displayed around the room. She thought his bachelor apartment seemed dreary and impersonal.

The only sign of Jack she found in the room was the bookcase stuffed with books and the pictures of Kim. She walked over to the bookcase and thumbed through it. In between a spy novel and a worn copy of Shakespeare, she found a dog-eared picture. She picked it out and studied it. It was a much younger-looking Jack with his arm around what must be his wife, and he was kissing a teenage Kim. They all looked very happy, a family.

She studied Teri's picture, wondering what she was like. She was plain, but pretty, and her smile was warm and friendly. Sam knew from his report that Jack had gone through hell when she died, and she wondered how he managed to keep going. She knew that she had almost shut down when her old boss was killed in a routine bust. It nearly killed her when she lost her lover, she couldn't imagine losing a spouse.

She heard the shower shut off and quickly shoved the picture back where it was. Sam sat down and waited for Jack, who came out of the bathroom in a pair of faded jeans and a fitted gray t-shirt. His hair was still wet, and he hadn't shaved. Sam sucked in her breath, and quickly looked away. She needed to clear her mind for the task at hand and she resolved right then and there to stay focused.

"You ready? I'm dying to get out of these clothes." Jack's eyebrows rose behind her, but he just slipped on his shoes and followed her out the door.

They drove up to her apartment building and walked up the stairs. Sam, in the lead, noticed her front door was cracked open. She put up her hand to stop Jack. They simultaneously unholstered their guns and stood on either side of the door.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you like this story, it's been a lot of fun to write so far. I thought it would be fun to give Jack a love interest who was an agent too, that he didn't necessarily have to protect all the time and who he could share everything with. But of course there are problems with that too.... 


	13. Chapter 13

Sam looked at Jack, who nodded at her in the unspoken language that passed between agents as a go. She pushed open the door and entered first, gun aimed out in front of her and swept the room with her eyes. Jack followed quickly behind her as they surveyed the empty living room area.

The usually immaculate room was in shambles. Lamps were knocked over, books thrown off the shelves, and drawers emptied. Several flowerpots had been dumped out and her usually spot-free beige carpet was now a dark brown. Sam's eyes and gun traveled to the small kitchen as she found most of her dishes in pieces on the floor.

She looked up and caught Jack's eyes when they both heard a small noise coming from the bedroom down the hall. They took up opposite positions on either side of the hallway entrance. This time, Jack went first after he nodded at Sam. He aimed his gun towards the bedroom and silently walked down the hall and stopped at the entrance to the bedroom, Sam following close behind. Jack gave Sam one last look, then burst through the doorway with his gun trained on the back of the intruder, "Federal agent, drop your weapon."

He dropped his gun instantly, put his hands up, and stuttered, "I'm a federal agent, hold your fire."

Jack ordered, "Slowly turn around." Sam had already lowered her gun, she recognized who it was.

The man turned around, "Dammit Temple, you almost got yourself shot. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Gibson sent me here to find you and Sam." He grinned at her, "Not much of a housekeeper, are you?"

Sam walked over to him, "Shut up and put your hands down. Was it like this when you got here?"

"Yeah." Temple bent down and picked up a pair of black, lacy underwear that had been thrown out of her dresser, all the drawers were empty and on the floor. "Nice. Do you wear these to work?"

Sam grabbed them back, "Give me those. And watch it, or I'll bust you down to desk duty." Sam just gaped at the disheveled room, everything in her life was suddenly turning upside down. She made her way through the rubble to her bathroom.

Jack asked Temple, "You say Gibson sent you over here?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see anyone around when you got here?"

"Nope, just got here a couple minutes ago. Door was open, place was ransacked. You got enemies, Murphy?"

Sam poked her head out and traded looks with Jack and smiled. "You think we might have pissed off someone last night?"

Temple looked back and forth between Sam and Jack, "What happened last night? What aren't you guys telling me?"

Jack ignored him and asked Sam, "You think you can still get cleaned up and change?"

She nodded, "I'll manage. I just have to dig a little." She rummaged through the clothes and found something suitable and took it into the bathroom and showered quickly. She felt much better, despite the current condition of her home as well as her life. She put her hair up and walked out to join the boys.

Jack spoke up first, "You feel better?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, thanks. I don't know what to do with this mess, though."

Jack was adamant, "You're not staying here tonight. Pack a bag for a couple of nights. I don't thing you should stay here. Juan and Felipe might be back."

Sam found a bag and did as she was told. "What now?"

Jack asked Temple, "You ready?"

Temple nodded enthusiastically, "You bet."


	14. Chapter 14

Jack nodded at Temple, "Ok, make the call. Remember what I told you." Sam looked at Jack curiously, but he waved her off.

Temple dialed, "Sir, it's Temple. No, there's no one here, but I just got a call from Murphy. She and Bauer are checking out a warehouse on a tip he got on Jose Salazar. Yeah I wrote it down. Let's see, it's in Century City, 3400 Palisades Drive, building A. No sir, I don't know where they got the tip. Ok. Yeah, sure. Ok, sir. Well, shouldn't I meet you out there? Oh, ok, sir. Copy."

He hung up and looked at Jack, "Ok, you're all set, you sure about this?"

Jack ignored Temple's question, took out his phone and dialed. "Chris, it's Jack, we're a go. You sure you have it covered? Copy that."

Sam looked between Jack and Temple, but addressed her question to Jack, "You think we can trust him? What if he's in on it?"

Jack took out his gun, checked the clip, and smiled, "If he's in on it, he knows what will happen to him. Isn't that right, Temple?"

Temple put his hands up and stared at Jack as he spoke, "Hey, I just work here. I have no idea what you guys are even talking about." He looked back at Sam.

Sam scrutinized him and nodded; she couldn't detect anything deceitful coming from Temple. "Good, now get back to the office. Call me if anything comes up there, or if anyone starts asking about us. Jack, we need to get going."

"Yeah."

Sam took one last look around and sighed, "I hope you're right about this. My career is on the line."

Jack studied the ground for a moment, then met her eyes and tried to give her an encouraging smile. "I know." As Sam walked out, Jack gave Temple a slight nod behind her back.

Jack and Sam drove in silence, each concentrating on the operation. Sam wasn't entirely convinced that Jack's plan would work, but she didn't have any other alternatives. If it backfired, she would surely be terminated from the FBI, something she had given up her life for. However, in the short time that she had known him, she had learned to trust Jack's instincts. They were usually, and unfortunately, correct.

They drove up to the deserted warehouse and parked. Sam found the place eerily empty, and an unwelcome fear crept into her body. "Are you sure he'll show?" They went to the back of the truck and put on their Kevlar and pocketed additional clips.

Jack nodded and covered her shaking hand with his, "I don't think he feels he has any other choice at this point. Just follow my lead, you'll do fine."

Sam frowned at him, "You seem to have forgotten that this is my investigation, Bauer."

"Fine, then you lead."

Sam took a deep breath, checked her weapon again and proceeded cautiously to the abandoned warehouse through the east entrance. She covered him as he swept the room and checked the western entrance, ending at a stack of discarded crates in the corners. They met in the middle of the dim, cavernous room when she heard a rustle by the door and nearly jumped. She glanced over at Jack, who gave her a slight nod. Time to put on the act. "There's no one here." Sam feigned anger, "Dammit, Bauer, where did you get the tip on Salazar?"

Jack responded in the same tone, "I told you, it was reliable. Now back off Murphy."

"No, you back off Bauer. We have to find Salazar, my job depends on it."

"Oh, it's much too late for that," a voice from the shadows behind them bellowed. Sam and Jack froze, and then attempted to turn and level their guns. He was faster, "Uhn uh, put them down and kick them away. Now! Or I will shoot you both before you even can turn around."


	15. Chapter 15

Jack signaled her to cooperate. They both dropped the guns and kicked them about ten feet away. The man continued, "You should have just done your job, Murphy,"

She knew the voice, but Sam stole a glance over her shoulder to confirm what her ears already knew. "Gibson? Sir, what are you doing?" Despite Jack's hunch, finding out it was her boss that set her up and wanted her dead was still a shocking blow.

"Both of you, turn around. Slowly." They both turned and Gibson sneered at her, "You couldn't just be a good girl and run a casual investigation, could you?" He sidestepped slowly around them, keeping his gun trained on them all the time. "You had to get Bauer involved, and you went over my head to do it. You always were a troublemaker, weren't you Murphy? First that affair with Travers, now this. I warned you to stay away from Bauer for your own good."

Sam gaped at him, "But...but you're such a stickler for the rules."

He gave her an amused grin, "Am I?"

Sam shook her head slowly, "I don't understand."

"You still don't get it, do you Murphy?"

"I guess not sir, why don't you explain it to me?"

Gibson looked back and forth between Sam and Jack. "You'd like that wouldn't you Bauer?"

Jack stared defiantly at him and asked, "How are you connected to Salazar?"

"It's simple really. Jose was supposed to kill you in Mexico because he knew you were undercover. But then you had to go put Ramone in prison. In the end, you actually saved us some trouble with your virus scheme killing Ramone and Hector the way you did. Jose had planned on getting rid of them himself to take control of the cartel, but you beat him to it. Pity you survived the day though." He shook his finger at Jack, "You've caused us some problems Bauer."

Jack urged through clenched teeth, "Go on."

"Jose and I met through a mutual friend and I guess you could say we have a symbiotic relationship. I provide him free reign throughout the city, reduced surveillance, loose investigations, and advance intel. He provides me with money. It works out well for both of us."

Jack looked up and smiled at Gibson.

"What are you smiling at Bauer?"

Jack trained his eyes on the figure that had snuck up behind Gibson. "Did you get all that Chris?"

Chris's gun was aimed at Gibson's back. She cocked her gun, "Hello Agent Gibson."

* * *

Since these chapters are short, I'll put them up two at a time--I'm so glad that someone is liking this, it is such fun to write...Thanks for reviewing to all of you who have, I really appreciate it!


	16. Chapter 16

Jack nodded at her and spoke, "Thanks for coming, Chris."

Sam, who had been staring at the ground almost praying, let out an audible sigh of relief. Then she looked up and got the shock of her life. The resemblance was uncanny. She snuck a glance over at Jack, who didn't seem affected by it. Sam just gaped at Chris.

She whispered to Jack, "She looks just like—"

Jack cut her off, "Shhh."

Jack turned to retrieve his gun, when her voice behind him yelled, "Not so fast, Bauer." He stopped dead in his tracks. "Turn around slowly." Chris was now aiming her gun at Jack, while Gibson's was covering Sam.

Gibson looked over and addressed Chris, "You're late."

She smiled at Gibson, "I know, I hit some traffic. But I wouldn't miss this for the world." She sneered at Jack, "Sorry, Bauer. No offense."

Sam's jaw dropped at Chris. "Are you kidding me? You're involved in this?"

Gibson laughed, "Who do you think recommended her for the job to my old pal, Hammond?"

Jack looked back and forth between his boss and Sam's boss. "Is he mixed up in this too?" Jack questioned Gibson.

Gibson let out a small chuckle, "No, but it would have been easier if he were. Now that guy is a stickler for the rules."

Chris said, "When little Miss Super Agent here started making noise about including Bauer, we knew we had to do something to distract him. I knew I could get him to trust me, and it looks like it worked." She sneered triumphantly at them.

Sam, who had been quietly trying to figure a way out, interrupted, "So what are you going to do with us now?" She snuck a quick glance at Jack, whose face didn't give away anything.

"This would have been so much easier if you had just let Juan and Felipe kill you like they were supposed to. Now, I guess we'll have to do it." Gibson smirked at them like he enjoyed the thought of it.

Chris taunted Jack, "How does it feel knowing that you couldn't protect another woman in your life. Maybe we'll kill her first and let you watch another one die." Jack looked over at Sam and their eyes locked. Chris noticed the look that passed between them and asked, "Uh oh, sleeping with another agent, Jack? I would have thought you learned your lesson with Nina."

Jack replied evenly, "Don't do this Chris, you'll regret it."

Chris laughed, "Even the almighty Jack Bauer can't get out of this one."


	17. Chapter 17

Sam looked over at Jack with fear, but found something else in his eyes, confidence. Damnit, he must have a plan, he must have suspected Chris all along. She was angry that he hadn't shared everything with her. Sam thought she knew what he wanted her to do, and she wouldn't have a hard time doing it either. Sam looked accusingly at Jack, "I thought you said we could trust her."

"Shut up Murphy, and let me handle this."

"Damnit Jack, why did you get me into this?"

Chris took a step closer, anger flushed her cheeks, "Enough with the lover's quarrel. I know what you're doing Bauer. Frankly, I expected more from you. Did you really think I would fall for that textbook distraction technique?"

Gibson looked nervously over his shoulder, "Chris, this is taking too long, someone will start to miss us. Let's just get it over with."

Chris also looked around, "You're right. Are you sure Temple knew they were coming here to investigate Salazar? We need an alibi and a reason that they were here when someone finally finds the bodies."

Gibson nodded, "Don't worry about Temple, I can handle him. And I already have an alibi all set up."

Jack smiled at Chris. She aimed her gun at his face, "I don't know what you think is so funny Bauer."

"It's just that I don't think your alibi is going to work out like you thought."

A confused Gibson walked over to Jack and put his pistol up to Jack's head, "What are you talking about Bauer? I've thought of everything."

Jack was smug, "Not everything."


	18. Chapter 18

He yelled over his shoulder to the corner of the room, "Did you get all that on tape, Temple?"

Both Gibson and Chris searched the room with their eyes, confused, when Temple, who had been hidden behind the crates in the corner, yelled back, "Yeah, every word."

Chris shouted, "Gibson, take care of Temple and get that tape." Then Chris aimed at Jack. She spit with anger, "You son of a bitch, you set us up!"

"That's right, but you set me up first. I'm just better at it than you."

Jack looked quickly over at Sam to make sure she was ok. Chris again caught the look and was distracted for just long enough. Jack shouted at Sam as he pushed her to the side, "Now, Sam!"

Sam dove to the ground just as a bullet whizzed by her. She scrambled across the floor on her stomach for the gun she had kicked away earlier, found it and slid it across the floor to Jack. Jack picked it up and shot at Chris, just as the room filled with CTU and FBI agents in full SWAT type gear, disorienting her. Jack's shot hit Chris in the chest, who fell back. Gibson was surrounded and gave up without a fight.

Agents completely surrounded Sam and Jack and yelled at him to drop his weapon. He complied and looked over at Sam, "Are you okay?" Sam just nodded, still trying to catch her breath and make sense of all that had happened in the span of only a couple of moments.

There was chaos inside the warehouse now, as many of the agents were unclear of what was happening. Most knew either Chris Henry or Walter Gibson as senior officers, so they were unsure of whose side everyone was on, it was hard to believe one of their own could work against them. The agents picked Jack up and were about to cuff him, when Hammond strode over, "No, he's ok, let him go." He looked down at Chris, bleeding on the ground and yelled to the closest agent, "Get an ambulance here, now."

The agents released Jack, who walked over to Sam brushed some hair behind her ear, then hugged her. "You ok?"

She hugged him back tightly. "Yeah, thanks for pushing me away from that bullet. I guess we're even now. You had me worried there for a minute, Bauer." She could see Chris lying on the floor over Jack's shoulder and still couldn't get over the resemblance. "Jack, she looks so much like Teri, except for the hair color, I would say they were sisters."

Jack broke the embrace and looked her in the eyes, "How do you know what Teri looked like?"

A guilty look crossed her face, "I found a picture in your apartment when you were showering."

Jack smiled at Sam, then looked over his shoulder at the fallen agent, "It threw me at first and I couldn't place my finger on it. Then I realized the resemblance was too great to be a coincidence. She was using it to gain my trust, I just had to figure out who she was working with."

Sam grimaced as she looked at Chris again, "Are you sure you're ok with this, I mean, shooting her?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I think so." He hugged her again and stroked her back with his hand. "Everything's going to be ok now." Sam felt so safe in his arms, she almost believed him.

Hammond walked up to them, "I don't know how you knew Bauer, but she sure had me fooled. Good work." Jack released Sam and shook Hammond's hand, "Thanks for coming, Brad. When I had Temple call you, I wasn't sure if you'd believe it."

Hammond just shook his head, "If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I don't think I would have. I'm going to need you both to debrief at division, but it can wait till tomorrow."

Temple heard his name and walked over to them with a camcorder in one hand and the tape in the other. He handed the tape to Hammond, "This will have everything you need on it."

Jack put his hand on Temple's shoulder, "Thanks kid, you really came through. It looks like you are agent material after all."

Temple beamed at them, "So does this mean that I am partners with you guys now?"

Jack and Sam both answered at the same time, "No."

Sam sighed, "I'm glad this is finally over."

Jack shook his head, "But it's not. Salazar is still after us."

* * *

I'm updating so fast because I have already written these parts...look forward to some more action and maybe a different type of "action" between Jack and Sam. This story has gotten really long, I hope you stay with me till the end. Thanks again for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

Sam threw the grocery bags on the table and sighed, "You don't have to stay with me. I can take care of myself." She felt the need to reiterate this point yet again. She was an independent woman who had been taking care of herself most of her life, and it was important to her to make sure Jack knew that.

"I know that, but I'm not leaving you alone. We don't know how much information Gibson and Henry gave Salazar about you. They could find this place just as easily as they did your apartment." They were back at her aunt's cottage after spending most of the day answering thousands of questions about the past couple of days from both the FBI and CTU. They would have to give an official debrief at division and FBI headquarters tomorrow, but tonight, Sam and Jack were laying low.

"Did they get anything out of Gibson yet?" Sam asked as began to unload the grocery bags and put things away.

Jack stood at the window, peeking through the blinds. "He hasn't talked yet, according to Hammond. The FBI and CTU are fighting over jurisdiction on this whole mess, so who knows when they will officially interrogate him."

Sam paused, nodded as if deep in thought, then said, "I'd really like to know why he chose me. And how Chris got involved."

Jack turned his head to look back at her and said softly, "Yeah, me too."

She returned his stare for a moment, then put her head down, trying to remain calm. Those eyes always did things to her, things she couldn't control. Her stomach did flips, her heart rate increased, and her palms turned sweaty. As an agent, she was used to being able to control her emotions, her feelings, and her environment. She was bothered by this sudden loss of control whenever Jack was near.

Now that their lives weren't in immediate danger, she was confused as to why Jack was still here with her. He didn't have to stay, there were agents outside keeping watch. She wasn't sure if it was some misguided notion of chivalry, or if he simple wanted to be with her.

Sam finished with the groceries and announced, "I'm going to shower and change before I start dinner. I'll be right back."

"Yeah, ok." He peeked through the blinds again.

Sam left to clean up while Jack kept his vigil at the window. He was worried that Salazar would try to find him before Gibson could talk. His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Bauer."

"Jack, it's Hammond. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Henry didn't make it. She died about an hour ago during surgery."

Jack put his hand to his eyes and rubbed the spot between them. "Yeah, ok. Did you get anything from her before she died?"

"Not really. She mumbled your name a couple of times, but she never regained consciousness, sorry Jack."

"Thanks Brad."

"Oh, Jack, one more thing. I'm going to need you step back up as director again. You're the only one I can trust right now." Jack almost laughed at the irony of the statement. Many times in the past Hammond had chosen not to trust him and now it seemed the tables had finally turned.

He briefly wanted to tell Brad where to go, but then stopped himself and answered in a civil tone. "Yeah, ok. Sure Brad, but I need something in return."

"Whatever you want, you got it."

"I want agent Sam Murphy under CTU watch and protection, 24/7."

"But Jack, she's FBI, and from what I understand, they've already got agents assigned to her."

"I don't trust the FBI. Just do it, ok." Hammond sighed but agreed. Jack finished the call with, "I'll check in with you tomorrow when we come to division for debrief." He hung up and continued to stare out the window. He was too wound up to sit, and being so close to Sam again stirred up feelings he wasn't ready to revisit just yet.

"Geez, Bauer, would you please sit. You're making me nervous just standing by the window."

"What?" Then he turned and looked at her, letting go of the blinds. "Sorry. I just..." He stopped in mid-sentence and stared at her. She was dressed casually in a pair of khaki capri pants and a white stretchy tank top, her long dark hair was still wet and glossy and her face was freshly scrubbed. So far, he had only seen her in suits, which she looked great in, but these clothes really fit her and outlined her athletic body. He was pleasantly surprised with this side of her.

Sam put her hands on her hips and shot him a curious look, "What?"

"Nothing, I just...I'm not used to seeing you like this." He looked down at her feet, they were bare and her ankles were showing. He found it extremely sexy and watched as she made her way into the tiny kitchen.

Sam tried to ignore his stares, "You hungry?"

He was still staring at her ankles, when her words caught up to his brain. He lifted his head quickly, "What? Yeah, sure."

"Well, if you're just going to stand there, the least you could do is come help me cut up the vegetables."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, sure." He walked over to the small kitchen, there was limited counter space and not much room to maneuver. "What do you need me to do?"

She handed him a cutting board and a couple of peppers and an onion. "Here, can you cut these up?"

Jack began his task, thankful for the distraction. As he hacked away at the peppers, Sam looked over his shoulder, horrified. "Jack, you're not cutting off people's thumbs." She put her hand over his and guided his hand gently through the green vegetable. "Easy, like this, see."

Jack lifted his eyes from his hand to her and locked his gaze with hers. She returned his stare for a moment, then looked down at her hand covering his. She quickly let go and returned to the stove where she was browning meat. Jack continued chopping the pepper and onion like she showed him, "Ok, done with those. Hey, what are we making anyway?"

She took a step back and bumped into him, the kitchen wasn't really big enough for the two of them. "Um, chili. An old family recipe." She grabbed a couple tomatoes and handed them to him. "Here, be a good boy and cut these too. Small chunks." Her fingers grazed his as she handed them over. Her heart was doing flip-flops in her chest just thinking how close their bodies were. She reminded herself it was just dinner, nothing more.

He took the tomatoes and smiled at her, "Sure, small chunks, you got it." Sam went over to the fridge, incidentally brushing her arm along Jack's back. Her arm tingled where it came in contact with him. She was trying to keep her mind on the task at hand, but it was tough working in such close quarters with him. They worked together almost silently, falling into an easy rhythm of chopping and stirring.

Jack finally finished cutting the tomatoes and added them to her stockpot. He stood close behind her, watching as she stirred them into the chili. She tried not to think of his body so close to hers and stick to stirring, but his close presence was making it difficult. Then she reached for the chili powder and hot pepper sauce, adding a generous portion of both. He asked over her shoulder in his husky voice, "Anything else I can help with?"

She made the mistake of turning her head to answer him, "I uh—"She swallowed hard. He was staring at her intently, those steel blue eyes searching hers. "Um, I think—"He cut her off and gently took her shoulders and turned her body so she was facing him, her back against the stove, their lips only inches apart. "Uh, I can—."

"Sam, just shut up and kiss me." He bridged the gap between them and put his hands on either side of her face and dove in hungrily.


	20. Chapter 20

Sam matched the intensity of his kiss and tried to free her mind of any reservations she held about getting involved with him. It simply wasn't the time to analyze the situation. When he kissed her like that, all rational thought went right out the window.

Jack pushed his hard body against hers, causing Sam to throw her arms around him and bring him in even closer. Her hands ran up and down his muscular back and under his shirt, anxious to feel more. Jack responded by deepening the kiss and letting his hands wander over her body with a sense of urgency. He moved his mouth to her neck and down her throat, covering it with kisses. Sam leaned her head back and moaned softly.

Jack moved back up and met her mouth with wet, hungry kisses. Sam's back was pushed up against the stove, and she could feel the heat from the burner inching closer. In between kisses, she tried to tell him in a breathless voice, "Jack...too...hot."

He nodded and broke the kiss long enough to agree, "I know."

"No....stove." Sam could barely get the words out, her mind wanted to keep going, but her back was close to burning.

Jack stopped abruptly and looked at the pot of chili bubbling on the stove. He chuckled lightly, then reached behind her and turned it off. Turning serious, he looked at her with those eyes again, "I'm not so hungry for chili anymore."

Sam shook her head, "Me neither."

He held his hand out to her, all while searching her eyes. She knew if she accepted it, she was accepting his invitation. A tiny-voiced angel on her shoulder told her not to, that she shouldn't get involved with him, she would inevitably get hurt. However, the devil on the other one screamed in her ear to go for it, she deserved a night of passion. The devil easily won when she put her hand in his.

His steel blue-green eyes penetrated hers, his voice was barely above a whisper when he asked, "Are you sure?"

She simply nodded and then led him towards the bedroom, her hand intertwined with his. She stopped when she neared the bed and faced him. She looked him in the eyes, and all she found there was want and need. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and opened it, then pushed it off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor behind him. She hesitated for just a moment, then ran her hands all over his bare chest.

He stood in front of her and let her explore his body with her hands and mouth, relishing her gentle touch and letting his mind go blank. She unsnapped his jeans seductively and pushed them to the floor also. When she had teased him until he thought he couldn't take any more, he reached out to touch her. She grabbed his hands to stop him. "You're not going to be all noble and stop again, are you?"

His voice was husky with desire, "I couldn't if I wanted to." He took her face in his hands and gently kissed her. The desire took over and he ran his hands over her body and he continued to kiss her. He pushed her towards the bed and gently lay her down. He had wanted to do this since he first met her, he wasn't going to rush it now. He would take his time, and savor every moment.

Jack and Sam were sweaty as they lay entwined in each other's arms, neither wanting to move or let go of the other, or say anything to ruin the moment. Sam couldn't believe that it had been so long since she had been with someone, but it was definitely worth the wait. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face, Jack did not disappoint in that department.

She felt safe wrapped up in his arms, like nothing could ever hurt her. Despite her earlier notion that she didn't want a relationship, she could happily imagine many endless nights with Jack. She knew in her brain that it probably wasn't a good idea, but she would now have a harder time convincing her heart as well as her body after tonight. She had a feeling that it wasn't going to be easy dealing with Jack Bauer, the world's most stubborn man. She also had no idea how he felt either, if this was just a fling for him, or if he could possibly want more.


	21. Chapter 21

Jack lay facing Sam and intertwined his fingers with hers with one hand and reached over to stroke her hair with the other. Sam looked him in the eyes and smiled at him. He smiled back, but then averted his eyes. He wasn't ready to explore these feelings bouncing around inside him and just wanted to lay here with her. He was pretty sure they were going on some kind of record for being in the same room together and not arguing.

Sam studied his face and the worried expression that came over it. He must be thinking about Salazar and the events of the past couple of days. Which reminded her that she was supposed to be pissed that he didn't include her in his entire plan. She grasped his hand and pulled herself up and straddled his chest, taking his other hand and pinning them both up behind his head on the bed. "Don't think that this gets you out of my being mad at you, Bauer."

Jack laughed. "I wondered how long it would take you to bring that up."

She brought her face close to his, "How could you leave me out? You almost got both of us killed."

He lifted his head up and kissed her, trying to distract her. He tried to lift his arms to put them around her, but she resisted and pushed them down even harder into the bed, using all her strength. "No way. You're not getting out of it that easy. Now, why did you exclude me?"

Jack relented and stopped squirming. "Truth?"

Sam nodded, "Truth."

"I wasn't sure if I could trust you. I didn't know if you were involved somehow." He didn't look her in the eyes. He wasn't ashamed for being cautious, but he knew it would hurt her that he didn't trust her.

Sam was angry, "But you trusted Temple? Temple, for god sakes?"

"He was too scared to be involved, I could read him. You, on the other hand..." He let the sentence fade.

Sam insisted, "Me, what?"

He turned his head away as if embarrassed, "I was attracted to you. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment." He sighed and looked at her intensely, "It's happened before and I swore I wouldn't let it happen again."

She knew he was referring to Nina, she knew their history. Defeated, Sam let go of his arms and climbed off of him, grabbing her clothes off the ground. She turned to go into the bathroom, but he grabbed her arm. "Sam, I'm sorry. But this is the way I am. I've been through too much not to be cautious."

Sam looked at the ground, "But you still can't trust me after...?"

Jack let go of her arm and lay back and stared at the ceiling, "I just don't know."

Sam swallowed the lump in her throat and put on a false smile, "I'm going to go heat up the chili. Are you hungry yet?" She didn't wait for an answer and walked to the bathroom and threw her clothes on. She took a moment to catch her breath, then put a smile on her face like nothing happened and opened the door. She didn't even look in the direction of the bedroom as she passed, but went straight to the kitchen and turned on the burner.

She stood at the stove and replayed their conversation in her head. Well, if he couldn't trust her, then she would just treat him like she would any other agent. She would finish the job with Salazar, then she would never have to see him again. Serves her right for giving in to her hormones, they always got her into trouble. This just reiterated the fact that she should not get involved with anyone, ever.

She was mindlessly stirring the chili when Jack's arms encircled her waist. He whispered softly into her ear, "I'm sorry."

Despite the chills that ran down her arm, she pretended that it didn't matter to her. She said in a terse voice, "Don't worry about it. Doesn't matter." She dipped her finger in the chili to taste it, but before she could reach her mouth with it, Jack took her hand and guided it to his mouth. He sucked the chili off her finger, sending shivers through Sam's body.

He let go of her hand, and his eyes widened, "Son of a bitch!" He looked around for a glass and after he had opened a couple of cabinets and came up empty, he went over to the sink and turned the water on. He put his face under the faucet and drank directly from it.

Sam laughed out loud. "Too spicy for you?" She took the spoon and took a taste, "It tastes fine to me, just like mom's." She laughed as he kept drinking and went over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. She opened it and handed it to him. "You better drink this."

He thanked her and took a long swallow of beer. "Jesus, Sam. Are you trying to torture me?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm from Texas, we like everything spicy." Then she gave him a pointed look and a smile that said she was enjoying his pain. "All right, you big baby, I put some aside before I added the pepper sauce and chili powder. I figured it would be too much for you to handle." She turned back to the stove and said in a lower voice, "Wimp."

"No, I'll eat it, I just need a couple more beers handy." He went to the fridge and took out the rest of the six-pack and took them over to the small table and sat down. Sam dished out two bowls of chili and sat down opposite him from the table.

Jack took a bite of the chili and then followed it with several swigs of beer. Sam almost laughed out loud when his forehead broke out into a sweat. She was used to the spice and it didn't really bother her, the spicier the better. But it was clearly affecting Jack and he had already finished another beer. If she weren't still mad at him, she would have found his willingness to endure the spicy chili endearing, macho, but endearing nonetheless. But she had to keep reminding herself that she couldn't fall in love with him, she had no doubt now that she would get hurt. She feared that it just might be too late.


	22. Chapter 22

Jack and Sam sat opposite each other eating, but not really talking. Sam smirked every time he took a bite and pretended not to be affected by it. In polishing off his chili, he had also polished off the five beers he had brought to the table. Sam got up and got another couple of beers from the fridge, opening one for herself. Jack took the beer she offered and was about to take a drink, but stopped before the bottle reached his lips. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

Sam smiled smugly at him, "Maybe then you'll tell me the truth." She walked over to the living room and put on a couple of CDs. It was too quiet in there and she didn't want to make eye contact with him, it was just too tempting.

"Low blow, Murphy."

She shot back, "Deserved, Bauer."

He held up his hands, "Ok, truce." He walked over to her, grabbed her hands and looked her straight in the eye. "Look, you held back on me too. You wouldn't let me in the Salazar investigation. Remember," he mimicked her, "need to know."

"That was different. I was ordered not to tell you anything about the investigation."

Jack countered, "That's my point. Who ordered you not to tell me?"

Sam crossed her arms and sulked, "Gibson." She picked up her bowl from the table and took it over to the sink and washed it aggressively. Jack brought his bowl over also, thankful that the spicy meal was over.

He stood behind her and watched her attack the dishes, "Sam."

The way he said her name still made her heart melt. She tried to sound indifferent, "What."

He took the dishes from her and turned her shoulders to face him. He lifted her chin with his hand and found her eyes with his. "We both know what this job does to us. We can't have relationships like other people, I've lost every one I ever loved. But I like spending time with you. Isn't that enough for right now?"

The woman in her wanted to scream at him that it wasn't enough, but the agent part knew he was speaking the truth. She was conflicted, but she would take what she could get right now, she was sure she was on her way to falling head over heels for Jack Bauer, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She nodded before she could stop herself.

He put out his arms, inviting her into them. His voice was a velvety whisper, "Come here." He held her and rocked ever so slightly, almost dancing to the music in the background while he stroked her hair. She held on and tried not to think too much. She just enjoyed being there with him, not worrying or having to be in control.

He stopped and gave her a smoldering look, pushed her hair back behind her ears, then gently nuzzled each earlobe. Chills covered every inch of her body. He noticed the ones on her arms and kissed them away. Sam managed to whisper, "Jack, I..."

She didn't get to finish her sentence. Jack covered her mouth with his and kissed her passionately. She didn't have time to think before her body reacted and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, bringing him closer. He picked her up and walked back to the bedroom, never breaking their kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

They were facing each other again, and this time Sam wanted to talk. She wanted to know more about this man that was driving her crazy. He had been through so much, but he was still going. She opened her mouth several times, but couldn't get the right words to form.

Jack watched her struggle, smiled and said, "Just ask me."

"Did you love her?"

Jack's forehead creased, "Who?"

Sam took a deep breath, then answered, "Nina."

Jack's eyes closed. He knew this was what she was probably worried about, comparing her to Nina. "I don't think so. I was going through a really rough time after I came back from a mission that went bad."

"Operation Nightfall?"

He opened his eyes in surprise, "Yeah, how did you know?"

"I read your file, there were references to it in relation to the day you stopped the Drazens from killing Palmer."

"Right. Anyway, all the men in my command died horribly, but I couldn't discuss anything with Teri, she thought I was on a training exercise. We grew apart and she asked me to move out. Nina was there for me."

Sam's eyes narrowed at him, "You didn't answer my question."

"I know, I was getting to that. I think she filled a need, she listened to me, comforted me and didn't require anything in return. So, to answer your question, I loved her as a friend, but I was never in love with her. No."

Sam just nodded.

Jack turned the question back on her, "Were you in love with your boss?"

"You mean Nathan?"

Jack nodded.

"I don't know. I knew it was wrong from the beginning. He was married, although he said they were going to get a divorce. I was young and lonely and he was my mentor, I looked up to him. I thought at the time I was in love, but looking back on it now? I don't think so."

"What happened to him?"

She looked at him pointedly, "Just like you, he was reckless, didn't follow rules." Then her face softened as she recalled the awful memory. "Went off on his own during a routine bust and some punk had an itchy trigger finger. He was shot in the head and died instantly."

Jack reached over and grabbed her hand in his, "I'm sorry. I know...it's hard. That's why I quit CTU after Teri..."

"But you came back?"

"I didn't have a choice. I couldn't let that bomb go off."

Sam put her hand on his face and met his eyes, "You're a good man, Jack Bauer."

Jack averted his eyes and looked down. But Sam insisted, "Judging from your file, I swore I was not going to like you. But you proved me wrong, just like you always prove everyone wrong about you. I think you deserve to be happy Jack."

He looked up at her, "Same for you too, Samantha."

She didn't acknowledge the comment and yawned instead. "Can I ask you another question?"

He smiled at her, indicating his consent.

"Did you suspect her at all before you found out she was a traitor?"

Jack thought about it for a minute. "That day was one of the scariest in my life. Teri and Kim were in trouble, and she helped me the whole time, up until the end. There was a point where evidence pointed at her, but she refuted it beyond question. She was a very accomplished liar. I trusted her completely."

"That must have been difficult. I'm sorry."

Jack nodded slightly, but didn't say anything. There wasn't anything else to say.

"Jack, I just want you to know that I am not that good a liar. As a matter of fact, I suck at it."

Jack laughed and pulled her close.

She yawned again and continued, "My dad always told me I would have a hard time interrogating people because I don't have a poker face."

"I'll keep that in mind, now go to sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."

Sam turned over and let Jack's arms hold her as she fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Jack closed his eyes, but couldn't sleep, so he untangled his arms from hers and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Sam. He crept to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and peered out the window one more time. To his relief, the FBI agents were still where they should be. He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down next to Sam and watched as she slept. She was on her stomach, her head facing him, her naked back uncovered. She was beautiful.

Jack couldn't drive their previous conversation from his mind. Could he really trust her? Had he loved Nina? He had trusted Nina with his life and his family, and she betrayed him. He couldn't endure someone else turning on him. Chris Henry did it, why wouldn't Sam. Although, he didn't detect anything but honesty coming from Sam. She didn't have the same hard edge to her that Nina did. No, Sam was different; she was softer, more feminine, more open. She tried to put up a strong agent exterior, but he could tell that underneath she was full of life and love. He didn't want to disappoint her, or even worse, hurt her.

He put his head in his hands. And that's inevitably what he would do; hurt her. He had hurt everyone that was close to him. Teri and Nina were dead. Kim was damaged forever, and Kate didn't deserve what he put her through.

He should stick to his philosophy to stay detached. That way, no one got hurt but himself. But could he do that, could he turn his back on this beautiful woman who just entered his life? Maybe Sam was different; she was an agent, she knew the risks, the dangers. He would be able to confide in her, share things with her that he couldn't with Teri or Kate. And, whether he liked it or not, she could take care of herself. She had proven herself a capable agent, an intelligent and confident woman.

And damnit, she drove him crazy whenever he was anywhere near her. He thought he had smiled more in the couple days since she came into his life than in the past six months put together. He had to admit that he had an intense attraction to her and couldn't get enough of her. That's what scared him the most. If one of his enemies found out, they could use her against him. He just couldn't put her at risk. He reached over and caressed her cheek lightly. Conflicting emotions swirled through his mind.

If he didn't know any better, he would think he was falling for her. And if he didn't put some distance between them soon, he might not be able to let her go. That's what he knew he should do, but it was killing him to do it. He hadn't been happy in so long. He saw the way that Kim and Chase looked at each other, he found himself longing for that closeness again.

Jack continued to stare at Sam, his mind weighing the options when he heard several faint pops. To his trained ears, the sound of silenced gunfire was unmistakable. He quickly pulled on his jeans and scooped Sam's clothes off the floor. He nudged her and whispered in her ear, "Sam, hurry, get up."

She woke up quickly, the sound of his voice told her instantly that something was wrong, "What is it?"

"I think we have company. Get dressed." He handed her the clothes. "Here's your gun. Check the back door, I'm going to call for backup."

She did as instructed and dressed quickly. She checked her clip, then proceeded down the hall cautiously, turning off the lights as she went.

Jack dialed quickly. A sleepy voice answered, "Hello."

"Chase, it's Jack."

He yawned. "Jack? What time is it?"

Jack peered out of the same blinds he had checked not long ago. The car in the drive was empty, but the windshield had two small holes in it. "After two. Listen carefully. The agents guarding us are down. I heard two gunshots. I need you to call it in now."

Chase sat upright, "Are you ok, what about Agent Murphy?"

"We're fine, but someone's out there."

"Ok, Jack. We have a team down the street from your position. I'll check with them and send another unit ASAP. I'll call you back."

"Hurry." Jack closed his phone and looked around the room for something to barricade the door. He began to push a huge armoire over toward the door when Sam came up behind him and touched his shoulder. He jumped and aimed the gun at her. "Son of a bitch! I almost shot you, Sam."

She whispered, "Sorry, the back is clear, but vulnerable with those sliding glass doors. Now I'm glad you put those trip wires across the deck earlier. What's going on?"

He motioned toward the window. "Take a look."

She pulled the blinds apart a couple of inches and saw just what Jack had seen. "Who did you call?"

"Chase Edmunds. He's CTU and practically my son-in-law. I trust him. He said there was a CTU team down the street, he's checking in with them."

Sam nodded and noticed the armoire out of place. "Need some help?"

"Yeah, help me push it in front of the door. It won't stop anyone who wants in bad enough, but it could slow them down." They both pushed and finally got the armoire in place, when Jack's phone rang. "Bauer."

"Jack, the backup team is not responding. I sent in another CTU team as well as LAPD SWAT, they have an ETA of less than six minutes. I also notified the FBI since it was their agents who are down. You ok till then?"

He peeked out the window again. "Yeah, are you still at home?"

"For now, but Kim and I are headed over to you. Why?"

"Can you transfer me to CTU? I want someone looking at the satellite of the area. I don't think we're alone out here. I want to know what we're up against."

"Sure, Chloe has the night shift tonight. She has already been notified of the situation. Hold on Jack."

A few seconds later, Chloe answered, "CTU, O'Brien."

"Chloe, do you have those satellite images yet?"

"Hi Jack. Just hold on a minute, they are coming through right now. Ok, I count eight hostiles, surrounding the house, holding their positions. Looks like you're outnumbered Jack."

Jack sighed, Chloe always had a way of stating the obvious. "Thanks Chloe. Let me know if they start moving."

"Jack, looks like three are approaching the back deck." Sam and Jack turned their attention toward the back of the house with their weapons pointed out in front of them. They heard several bumps then a loud crash as the sliding glass doors shattered, spilling shards of glass all over the floor. Several canisters spilling smoke flew at them, filling the small house.

Jack covered Sam's body with his own and pulled her back into the darkness of the kitchen. "Use your shirt to cover your mouth, try not to breathe the smoke. Back up should be here soon."


	25. Chapter 25

Sam coughed as the acrid smoke seared her lungs. Jack heard footsteps near them, but he couldn't see anything through the dense smoke. "Sam, honey, stay with me, please. I need your help." Sam coughed some more, but nodded weakly as she fought to stay conscious. "Ok, when I say go, open fire in that direction." He aimed her hand out towards the living room. "Ok, go!" Both Sam and Jack pulled their triggers as fast as they could and shot at anything that they could see. Jack heard several moans and thuds as bodies fell to the floor. They must have hit at least two of them.

He emptied his clip and reached in his pocket to get another, when he felt Sam's body go limp at his side. He knew the smoke affected her first because she weighed less than he did. He coughed and realized he didn't have much time before he too would succumb to the effects of the smoke. His lungs burned as he tried to hold his breath. He couldn't leave Sam here, and there was no other way out than the back door. He was stuck. He reloaded and fired again. He thought he got one more of them before his world went hazy and then black.

LA SWAT Officer Jim Street's unit was the first on the scene at the tiny isolated cottage by the ocean. When they found two FBI agents shot in the head in the car out front, he knew that they were dealing with professionals. They tried to break through the front door first, but it was barricaded by something. He left several men to guard it, and then proceeded cautiously around back. He noticed the smoke wafting out of the shattered glass doors off the back deck and ordered his men to put their masks on. They had not encountered any hostiles yet, more men were canvassing the area, but it was obvious a firefight had erupted here recently.

The house was dark, so he radioed to his team to turn on their night vision goggles. Three men approached from either side of the deck. Street put up his hand when he noticed the trip wires strung across the deck. They would have been almost invisible with the naked eye, but they were illuminated with the green light of the goggles. He told his men to watch out for them and they continued toward the shattered door, machine guns in the ready position.

Street was first through the remnants of the sliding glass door, and searched the small room. There were two bodies splayed on the floor ten feet in front of him. He kicked their guns away although they were obviously dead. His men fanned out behind him and checked all corners of the room. He pushed a button his radio, "Back room is clear."

He took a few more steps into the front of the house and found two more bodies with several bullet holes each. One of them was moaning softly. He radioed, "Got a live one, we're going to need paramedics and coroner. Give us a minute to secure the rest of the house." He motioned to his team to search the rest of the house. They all came back momentarily, since there was only a small kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom left to cover. They gave him the all-clear signal. "House is secure, do you copy?"

A voice answered him, "Copy that. Sir, CTU is here, can I send them in?"

"Just give us a minute to move the barricade and we'll open the front door." He motioned to his men to move the armoire. He removed his goggles and turned on the lights for the paramedics, who came rushing in with a gurney. They attended to the injured man, when Agent Tom Baker entered the room.

He introduced himself to the SWAT leader, then asked, "Any sign of Agent Bauer or Agent Murphy?"

Street shook his head, "No sir, except for the four bodies, we haven't spotted anyone since we got here. I have men canvassing the area, but so far, no traces. It looks like they used some kind of smoke bomb, then disappeared."

Baker put some gloves on and picked up one of the canisters, "We'll take these to the lab and try to get some prints and a chemical analysis." He surveyed the room and examined the bullet holes, "Looks like they took Bauer alive and kicking."

"What makes you say that?"

"You mean besides the fact that he isn't here on the floor dead?"

Street glared at him.

"Well, it looks like all the bullets originated from area around the kitchen. That's where Bauer and Murphy must have been. There aren't any holes in the kitchen. It looks like whoever took them didn't fire a single bullet at them."

"Jack!"

They turned around when heard the yell. Chase came running through the door, followed by Kim. "Where is he?"

Baker put his hands on both of Chase's shoulders. "They're gone."

"Damnit! We're too late. This is all my fault. I should have made Hammond put more security on them."

Kim hugged him, "We'll find him honey."

Chase grabbed his cell phone and dialed, "Chloe, did you get everything on satellite? Ok, Kim and I are on the way."

* * *

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it. This is only about halfway through of what I have so far, so expect more action, a pretty "steamy" scene, and a close call. We'll see more of Chase, Kim, and definitely Temple (as he is my favorite character to write now) and Jack and Sam have much more to go through before it is all over. In case you haven't noticed, my writing is pretty bare bones and I don't include a lot of extra description, but to me right now, it is all about the story, thanks for sticking with it.

Oh--and I borrowed the character of Jim Street from the movie SWAT


	26. Chapter 26

Jack was jolted awake when someone slapped his cheeks. He was tied to a high backed chair in the middle of an deserted room, some kind of empty office or small warehouse. His vision was still blurry, so he couldn't make out the figure next to him that said in a faint Mexican accent, "Ah, so nice of you to join us Bauer." Confusion clouded his brain, where the hell was he? Then it hit him like a hammer to the head, the shootout. Sam! Where was Sam? He squinted and looked around for her. He found her body slumped over on the floor on the opposite side of the room next to a metal shelving unit, a beefy guard standing over her. She still looked unconscious, but he saw her leg move just a little. Thank god, she was still alive.

The man followed Jack's gaze to Sam's body, "You have good taste Bauer. First Claudia, now this one." Jack's head turned when the man mentioned his dead lover, unable to keep the surprise from his face. His vision had finally cleared and he looked into the wild eyes of Jose Salazar. "What? You didn't think anyone knew about you two?" He laughed sadistically, "I think everyone knew, except Hector of course. Hell, even Ramone suspected you, but he just didn't care. I even had her a few times myself, fine piece of ass." Jack narrowed his eyes and glared at Jose. "That reminds me, thanks for taking care of my little problem for me. Sure saved me a lot of trouble."

"Don't mention it."

"However, you have caused me many more problems now. Because of you I lost Gibson and Henry." His voice raised an octave, as he yelled at Jack, his Mexican accent became thicker, "And now you killed four of my top men!"

Jack looked around and only counted four guards, plus Jose. It added up, Chloe had told him there were eight men outside the house. He and Sam had killed more of them than he had thought. He found his old friend from the other night, Filipe, staring at him with hatred. Juan was nowhere to be found. He didn't recognize the other three.

He gritted his teeth and tried to wiggle his arms and loosen the ropes. "They killed two agents and kidnapped us. It was self-defense." His eyes traveled back to Sam. She hadn't moved, but he noticed that they had one of her hands cuffed to the shelving unit.

Jose again caught Jack's eye movements. "Did we take something that belongs to you, Bauer?" He turned and walked over to Sam and turned her over on her back. "Mmm, she looks tasty. I might have to sample some of that for myself." He ran his hands roughly over her breasts. He looked over and caught Jack clenching his teeth, "Oh, does that bother you, Bauer?"

Sam opened her eyes and slapped Jose hard across the face with her free hand, "It bothers the hell out of me."

Jose couldn't contain his anger and punched her in the face. "You stupid bitch!"

Jack watched with horror while tears formed in Sam's eyes as she winced in pain. The corner of her eye was already swelling and blood trickled down the side of her face where Jose's ring made contact with her cheek. He tore his eyes from Sam and brought them up to Jose. He replied in as dispassionate a manner as he could, "Do whatever you want to her, she doesn't mean anything to me. I was just using her."

* * *

Chase and Kim were on their way back to CTU, when his cell rang, "Edmunds."

"Chase, it's Chloe. I'm triangulating Jack's location. I followed them on satellite; we've narrowed it down to a couple blocks in Culver City. I'll call you back with an exact address as soon as Adam works it up."

"That's great, thanks Chloe. Call Baker and have his team meet us over there. They can get there first, they're closer than we are. And inform the FBI too."

"Already on it. Chase, do you think he's already dead?"

Chase clenched his jaw, her question didn't merit an answer. "Just get back to me with that location, Chloe." Chase hung up and made a u-turn, and headed towards Culver City. He glanced over at Kim, who looked worried, "Maybe I should drop you off at CTU, you're not trained for this. And if something happens, you shouldn't see it." He took her hand and squeezed it.

Kim stared straight ahead, "No. I'm going. I'll wait in the car if I have to, but I'm going."


	27. Chapter 27

Sam wiped the blood off of her cheek with the back of her hand. She looked quickly over at Jose, then focused on Jack and yelled, "You son of a bitch! I trusted you!"

Jack ignored her and spoke to Jose, "I was doing a job. She was just a perk." He smirked at Jose, trying to convince him, "Uptight FBI bitch, wasn't even that good."

Sam's voice was filled with rage, "You're a bastard, Bauer. Go to hell!"

Jose watched their arguing with a smirk on his face, but now his face showed no emotion. "Enough." He stormed over to Jack and punched him in the stomach. "Now, I need to know what you told the FBI about me, Agent Bauer."

Jack bent over in pain, trying to catch his breath. Despite the pain, he held Jose's gaze and answered between breaths. "There was nothing to tell."

Jose slapped Jack's cheek lightly and smiled viciously. "You're lying." He walked over to Sam and kneeled down next to her and pinned her free arm to the ground. He bent over and kissed Sam hard on the lips, forcing himself on her while she struggled under him. Jose forced his hand between her legs and rubbed her violently. As his hands traveled all over her body, Jack kept a straight face, desperately trying to keep his temper in check. He wouldn't give Jose the satisfaction that he was getting to him.

Salazar sat up and looked over at Jack, who didn't appear to be affected by his actions. This enraged him, and he slapped Sam across the face again. She cried out in pain and kicked at Jose, connecting with his shoulder. The guard came over and aimed his gun in her face, cocking it. She wisely took the hint and stopped fighting, then turned on her side and curled up into a ball. She held back her tears, she wouldn't let him hear her cry, she refused to give him the satisfaction.

Jose got up and rubbed at his shoulder and pointed at Sam, "You shouldn't have done that, bitch." He nodded to Felipe who was standing behind Jack's chair. Felipe punched Jack several times in the face, then kicked him in the stomach. Blood dripped from his mouth, but Jack just stared at Jose defiantly. "I remember that about you Bauer. You always did have a high pain threshold. Well, let's see if we can cross it." He nodded again at Felipe, who continued beating on a restrained Jack.

Jack managed to say in between blows, "I should have shot you the other night. You're lucky I'm tied down." Felipe brought his hand back to land another blow when Jose's phone rang. He held up his hand to stop Felipe and answered it.

Jack used the distraction to sneak a look at Sam. She returned his look and nodded slightly to let him know that she was ok. He smiled quickly to reassure her. Sam thought she caught something in his smile. If she knew Jack like she thought, he had already formed some kind of plan. She hoped she would know what to do when he wanted her to.

Jose closed his phone and walked over to Jack. "Unfortunately, we'll have to continue this later. I have a shipment coming in that I have to see to." He addressed the guards, "I trust that you four can guard two restrained people." He pointed at the two by the door, "You two guard the entrance, just in case we get company, they could have tracked us on satellite. Felipe, you and Charlie see what else you can get from them."

Felipe sneered at Jack, "It would be a pleasure."

Charlie licked his lips and motioned towards Sam, "What do you want me to do with her?"

Jose answered nonchalantly over his shoulder as he walked out, "Get any information from her that you can, then kill her." Then he turned around and added, "But don't kill Bauer just yet. I still have plans for him." The two other guards escorted Jose out and Sam and Jack were left alone with Felipe and Charlie.

* * *

"Chase, I have that address for you. I already radioed Baker. They're seven minutes out. Ready?"

"Yeah, Chloe, go ahead." He nodded at Kim to let her know that they found Jack's location.

"It's 1856 Culver Canyon Boulevard, Building C."

"Got it, we're about ten minutes away." Chase closed his phone and stepped on the gas.


	28. Chapter 28

Felipe called over to Charlie, "Hey, don't mess her up too bad amigo. I want a turn after you." He rubbed the back of his head, "That crazy bitch knocked me out the other night, I owe her." Then he turned to Jack and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to fuck your woman, Jack, and make you watch."

Jack glowered at him, "You touch one hair on her head, and I swear that will be the last thing you ever do. That's your one and only warning."

Filipe punched Jack in the stomach again and laughed. "What do you think you are going to do to me?" He got his gun out, chambered a bullet and shoved the barrel into Jack's forehead. "You killed Juan, asshole. Give me one good reason I shouldn't shoot you right now."

Charlie yelled over at Felipe, "Uh, Felipe, boss said not to kill him yet. And keep it down, will ya, I'm gonna have a little fun with the FBI bitch now." Charlie put his gun in the holster and kneeled down next to Sam, his fetid breath in her face. "Don't fight me and I won't hurt you. Much." He gave her a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with glee at his new playtoy. Sam shuddered and tried to block him out of her mind, then turned her head back over toward Jack.

Jack never lost eye contact with Sam, silently reassuring her with his eyes while Filipe continued to use him as a punching bag. Then he nodded slightly at her and turned to Felipe with a large smile and a small laugh. Felipe was angry, "What's so funny, ese?"

"I was just thinking about the last person who tied me up in a chair." The smile faded. "I killed her." Jack planted his feet firmly on the ground.

Charlie began to unbutton Sam's overshirt, exposing the tank top she wore underneath.

Felipe stood in front of Jack and leaned in close to him, "You're dead."

As Sam watched Jack, she inched her leg up, getting it into position.

In one quick motion, Jack leaned forward and used the chair spindle that stuck up behind his head to punch Felipe in the eye. Sam waited for Jack to make his move, then she brought her knee up to Charlie's groin with as much force as she could. Both men howled in pain, Felipe grabbed his eye and fell to floor, while Charlie grabbed his crotch and fell on his side, pinning Sam's right leg under him.

Sam slipped the gun out of his holster, shot Charlie once in the back and tried to wiggle her leg free. In the meantime, Jack awkwardly got to his feet and picked the chair up with his body and fell on Felipe with all the force his beaten body could bear. The chair broke in several places, loosening the ropes that held Jack to the chair. Felipe moaned, but was rendered unconscious when the chair back hit his face. Blood poured from his broken nose.

Hearing the commotion inside, the two guards outside came rushing in with their guns drawn. Sam finally freed her leg and made her way to her knees, although her left hand was still attached to the shelving behind her. She took out the first guard through the door with two body shots as Jack fumbled to get the ropes loose enough to grab Felipe's gun. The second man fired back at Sam, using the first guard as a shield. His shot hit Sam in the chest, the force of which threw her body backwards. She cracked her head on the metal shelving behind her and crumpled unconscious to the floor.

Jack watched her body fall and screamed, "No!" He moved his hands enough to grab Felipe's discarded gun and emptied the clip into the second guard. "Sam?" He screamed her name, hoping she would sit up and argue with him. He finally removed all the ropes and scrambled to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his body.

He dashed across the room, brushed the hair out of her face and tried to wake her. "Sam? Honey, wake up. Don't do this to me Samantha, please." He took off his shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound in her chest. He took her body in his arms and felt the sticky blood on the back of her head. He hugged her and rocked her back and forth, and pleaded with her, "Please no, not again. Sam, honey, come on. Don't leave me."

Seconds later, a team of CTU field agents came pouring through the door. Before they could even assess the situation, Jack yelled, "Get a medic in here NOW!"


	29. Chapter 29

Jack was forced aside when the paramedics attended to Sam, but he never took his eyes off her. He asked in a shaky voice, "Is she going to be ok?"

The paramedic glanced back at Jack and answered the only way he knew how, "I don't know yet, sir, but we're doing everything we can." He turned his attention back to Sam and checked her pulse, then announced, "She's crashing!" He grabbed his portable defibrillator out of the bag. "Charging to 200! Clear!" Jack watched in horror as they jolted her heart with a burst of electricity. He held his breath as they checked her pulse again. "I've got a pulse, it's weak, but stable. We need to get her moved, now!" Jack rubbed his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping the scene in front of him wasn't really happening.

Agent Baker walked over and tried to question Jack, but Jack just couldn't answer. He just watched as the medics inserted a tube down her throat and a needle in her arm. Instead, Baker walked away and called Chase, "You'll never believe this, but Jack had already taken out four guards by the time we got here. What's your ETA?"

Chase smiled over at Kim and nodded his reassurance that Jack was fine, "We're about a block away. Is he ok?"

"He's a little beaten up, but yeah, he's ok. Agent Murphy was shot though. Medics are working on her"

"Ok, we're pulling up now." He hung up and parked the car amid the line of CTU, FBI, and police cars. He flashed his badge at an officer and he and Kim made their way into the building. Kim ran ahead and found Jack on his knees on the floor, "Dad!"

Jack finally turned his head away and stood up. Kim stopped when she saw the amount of blood on his shirt and the condition of his face. Someone had worked him over. She put her hand to his bruised cheek and asked softly, "Are you ok?"

He looked down at his shirt, "It's Sam's. I'm fine." He shouldn't let Kim see him in this condition, so he opened his arms and hugged her tightly. He only let go when he heard the paramedics pack up their gear and raise Sam's gurney. "Hold on a minute, Kim."

He asked the nearest paramedic, "Where are you taking her?"

"St. Vincents, it's closest. She's stable for the moment, but we need to get her into surgery as soon as possible."

He nodded, "I'm coming with you."

"Sir, are you family?"

Jack just glared at him. The paramedic took one look at his face and knew he wouldn't back down, "Yeah, ok, but we're leaving now."

Jack looked back at Kim, "I'm going to St. Vincents with Sam, honey. I have to go. Can you meet me there?"

Kim nodded and returned to Chase's side, who had been talking to Baker. "Jack's got nine lives doesn't he?"

Baker laughed lightly, "Yeah, but I'd say he's used up more than eight of them already." He quickly shut his mouth when Kim approached.

She asked Chase, "Do you know anything about this Agent Murphy? Dad seemed really worried about her. I haven't seen him like that in a long time. It was almost like when..." She couldn't finish her sentence. But Chase knew who she was talking about. They had talked about the day her mom had died many times.

Chase hugged Kim, "He's going to be fine, Kim. Your dad was working very closely with Agent Murphy on the Salazar case. They've been through a lot in a very short time. I'm sure he's just worried about her." He let go and searched her eyes. "Would you feel better if we went over to the hospital?"

Kim nodded. Chase addressed Baker, "Call me on my cell if you need anything. Thanks for your help."

Kim and Chase got in the car and headed to the hospital. "How long have you known about my dad and this FBI agent?"

Chase stifled a grin, "I saw it yesterday after he shot Christine Henry. I noticed the looks that passed between them. To tell you the truth, I don't think he even knows how much she means to him, but it was obvious to anyone who saw them together."

Kim shot him a curious look, "So why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought he should be the one to tell you, I wasn't sure how you would feel about it. I mean, you were really good friends with Kate, and look what happened with them."

Kim sighed and looked out the window, "I just want him to be happy."

Chase squeezed her hand, "I know, me too. But I've got a feeling about this one."


	30. Chapter 30

Jack stared through the small window in the door to the operating room, which he had not been permitted to go through. He didn't understand what was happening in there, but he thought that if he didn't take his eyes off of Sam, she would be ok. He wanted to burst through the door and threaten everyone in the room at gunpoint until they fixed her, but he knew it wouldn't help.

Several nurses had tried to get him to move, or sit down, or even get his own injuries looked at, but he refused to budge. They gave each other knowing glances behind his back; they knew a man in love when they saw one.

The head nurse, who had been through this before, thought she would give it a try. She walked up to Jack and put her hand on his back, "Sir?" Jack didn't even acknowledge her. She tried again, "Sir? Wouldn't you be more comfortable in our waiting room?"

Jack continued to stare through the window, but answered her with a soft, "No."

She nodded curtly, and surveyed the solemn blonde man in front of her. His face was badly bruised and bleeding, he was covered in blood, and he was absently rubbing his ribs. She asked, "At least let someone take a look at you."

He shook his head, but continued his vigilant stare. "No, I'm fine."

"Tell you what, there is a room right next door with a large window into this one. You can still keep watch over her while you get your injuries looked at. She's liable to be in surgery for hours."

He finally took his eyes off Sam and looked at the kind nurse. "Thank you." He allowed himself to be led into the adjoining room and sat down on the gurney facing the window, suddenly realizing how tired he was. He hadn't slept at all last night and his body ached where Felipe and Jose had beat him. But none of that mattered to him. He had only met the woman on the other side of the glass a few days ago, but she had changed his life somehow. She made him reconsider wanting to stay alone. And now he might lose her before he could really get the chance to know her.

The nurse interrupted his thoughts when she asked him to take off his shirt. He complied and let her clean his wounds. She tried to make small talk, to take his mind off the surgery in the next room. "If you look this bad, I'd hate to see the other guy."

Jack replied in a dispassionate voice, "He's dead."

The nurse bit her tongue. She continued in silence, then told him, "Dr. Keller will be in here in a minute to stitch you up and get some x-rays."

He thanked her and turned to leave, but stopped at the door, "My name is Terri. If you need anything, just let me know." He jerked his head around and stared at her, searching her face for any sign of malice. Finding only compassion in her eyes, he smiled briefly, "Thank you Terri."

She smiled back at him and added, "I'll go find out how she is doing." She pointed at the room next door. Jack nodded at her and turned his head back to Sam. She looked so small under the medical draping, with tubes and wires crisscrossing her body. He watched the nurse, Terri, enter the room and talk to the surgeon briefly, then walk out. She stuck her head in and gave him the report. "They finally found the bullet, but she's had some damage to her lung and they are trying to repair it now. She also has some swelling in her brain caused by the blow to the head, and they are going to try to alleviate that next. He is very optimistic, though."

He thanked her and she left. Jack let out the breath that he didn't even know he had been holding. He was not a religious man by any means, but he found himself silently praying for her life. He lay down gently on the gurney and faced Sam's operating room. His eyes became heavy and he fought to keep them open.

Kim left Chase in the waiting room to call Chloe and opened the door that the nurse pointed out. She found Jack shirtless and fast asleep on the gurney and was shocked by his severely bruised body. She went over to him and caressed his face, thankful that he would be ok. She had been through this with him too many times, and each time it became harder. She had already lost her mother, she couldn't bear to lose him too. Kim felt tears sting her eyes as she wished he would leave field ops like Chase, but she knew it would have to be his decision, she couldn't guilt him into it. She turned her head and looked into the operating room next to her, at the woman who had entranced her father. She must be special, she hadn't seen him react that way to a woman since her mom.

Jack fought against the drowsiness and opened one eye. Someone was in the room with him. He opened the other one and recognized Kim, even with her back facing him. He reached out his arm for her, "Kim, sweetheart, come here."

She turned away from the window, and wrapped him in a big hug. He winced in pain as she squeezed his ribs, "Sorry. Dad, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to need a few stitches." He looked past her into the surgery suite.

Kim followed his eyes, "Is she going to be ok?"

"I think—" Jack was interrupted when alarm monitors went off next door. He could sense the distress in the room when doctors and nurses began racing around. His heart skipped a beat when he heard a doctor say, "She's crashing!"


	31. Chapter 31

Jack's sleepiness was put off by a surge of adrenaline as he watched doctors and nurses rush around trying to save Sam's life. He just sat on the gurney holding Kim's hand, riveted by the scene in front of him. He stood up when he heard the surgeon bark orders and then shock her again with the defibrillator. When saw another doc climb on top of her and perform CPR, pushing on her chest to get her to breathe again, he covered his mouth with his shaking hand. This couldn't be happening. Kim squeezed his hand for support, but Jack didn't even feel it.

It seemed like an eternity as Sam's life hung in the balance. Jack felt so helpless, just staring through a window. He was used to being in charge and taking command of situations that this complete lack of control almost brought him to tears. Kim noticed her father's face start to crumble and she hugged him tightly. "She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

He managed to find his voice, "Yes, she does. I didn't realize how much until now." He breathed a sigh of relief when things seemed to settle down and he saw the rhythmic blips on the heart rate monitor begin again. His head was spinning, his heart couldn't take this roller coaster of emotions he had been riding in the past couple of days. It began with a new boss, and ended with his new lover on the verge of death, with many ups and down in between.

Kim let him go and searched his eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He hugged her again and stroked her hair, "There wasn't time sweetheart. I'll explain everything later, I promise."

"I just want you to be happy, Dad."

"I know, I love you honey."

"I love you too, Dad."

The nurse, Terri, poked her head in the room again, "I just wanted to let you know that she's stable again and her pulse is strong. They've patched the lung and are closing up now." She smiled encouragingly, "You're friend's a fighter."

Jack offered her a weak smile, "Thank you."

"Dr. Keller will be in here soon, we had an MVA come in. Sorry for the wait." She smiled at Kim, "Can I get you anything sweetie?"

"No, I'm fine. But can I talk to you for a minute? Dad, do you want some coffee?" He looked at her and nodded. "Ok, I'll be right back then."

Kim followed the nurse out and crossed her arms. "I got the feeling you were holding something back in there that you didn't want to tell my Dad."

She looked at Kim sympathetically, "I didn't think that he could take any more bad news. I told him the truth, but she's still got severe swelling in her brain. They'll have to go back in and do another surgery to alleviate it, but she's not strong enough now. I'm afraid she won't wake up anytime soon. It's going to be touch and go for the next 48 hours."

Kim only nodded, knowing that she was right for holding that back from her dad. "Is my Dad ok? He would never tell me if he was really hurt."

She smiled again, "He's going to be fine, just bruising and some possibly broken ribs, but nothing a little rest won't cure. The doc will be in to suture his cuts in a minute." She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can I ask what happened to him?" Her curiosity got the better of her, and the other nurses had been bugging her for information on the ruggedly handsome man who wouldn't leave the woman's side. She too wondered how he had come to be so beaten and his "friend" had been shot. She had also noticed the many scars that marred Jack's body.

"He's a government agent and she's FBI. They were working a case. I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you."

Kim thanked her again and went in search of Chase and some coffee. She brought the coffee back to Jack, who just held the cup, letting it warm his hands. He watched Sam's chest rise and fall, to the same rhythm as the machine on her left.


	32. Chapter 32

They moved Sam to ICU for observation, and Jack was only allowed a few five-minute visitations with her. He held her hand gently, but just couldn't form the right words to express what he was feeling. Her face was bruised and cut where Jose had hit her, but other than that, she just looked like she was sleeping. He wanted to beg her to wake up, but he thought she would stay asleep just to defy him.

If she didn't pull through, he didn't know how he could go on. Sam had made him want to open up again, want to try again, maybe even love again. After the difficult and strained relationship with Kate, he had resolved that he wouldn't get involved again. It was just too hard and too dangerous. But Sam had changed his thinking in a mere few days, she had gotten into his system, and like a drug, he needed her.

She was different from any other woman he had met before, more his equal than any before her. She was brave and intelligent, and sexy and alluring all at the same time. But he had put her in danger, and he swore he wouldn't do that to anyone again. Sam was fighting for her life because of him. If she was ok, maybe he should stay out of her life forever. It really would be the best thing for Sam, and Jack wouldn't have to endure these endless hours in the hospital again, not knowing if she would live or die.

Terri, the nurse came up behind Jack and softly touched his shoulder, "Mr. Bauer? They're going to take her to radiology to run some tests and do an MRI. You can visit her again later on this evening."

He brought Sam's hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, then placed it back on the bed. "Yeah, thanks." He got slowly to his feet and walked out to the waiting area, where Kim and Chase were dozing on the couch, Chase's arm wrapped protectively around her. He studied them for a while, almost jealous of his daughter's happiness. Kim's eyes opened when he sat across from them and she slipped off the couch, leaving Chase to rest. She sat down next to him. "How's she doing?"

"No change. But they said that's to be expected. They're taking her for more tests." He rested his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hands. Kim rubbed his back, "Dad, you need to get some sleep. How long has it been?"

"I'm fine, I just need some more coffee."

"Dad, she's going to make it. And your walking around her like a zombie is not going to help her. Why don't you lay down, I'll go find a pillow and blanket, and I'll wake you when you can see her again."

Jack couldn't deny that his body craved sleep. He fought to keep his eyes open as he reluctantly agreed to lie down. His eyes closed the second his head hit the couch, but he grabbed Kim's arm before she walked off. He needed to get his guilt off his chest, it was eating at him. "This is all my fault."

Kim kneeled down next to him and touched his cheek. Tears formed in her eyes, but her tone was forceful. She had to get through to him, she couldn't bear to have him blame himself for something else. "No Dad, not this time. You can't blame yourself because this isn't anything like what happened to mom. She's a trained agent, she was doing her job and you were doing yours. She saved you and you saved her."

Jack lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at his daughter. He pulled her into another hug, "Thanks for being here, sweetheart."

She stood up, "I'll be right back, and I promise to wake you with any changes."

* * *

Sam made it through another surgery without any complications and the swelling finally subsided. Three days later, she was taken off the respirator and was breathing on her own, although she had yet to regain consciousness. Jack left her room only to shower and eat, but he maintained a constant vigil at her bedside. He wanted to be there when she woke up.

Chase and Kim visited when they could, but everyone had been put on the Salazar case, and with Chris Henry dead and Jack on leave, they needed every able bodied person to work. They were working closely with the FBI now in a desperate attempt to locate Jose Salazar, who had vanished without a trace after the shipment that day.

Jack looked up when the door to Sam's room opened. He almost grinned when he saw who it was. "How did you get in here? I specifically posted guards at the door so people like you don't get in." He stood up and put out his hand, "How are you doing Temple?"

"Good, thanks." He pointed at Sam, "How's the boss?"

Jack ran his hand through his hair, "As far as her injuries are concerned, the doctors are really optimistic for a full recovery. But she's being stubborn and won't wake up."

Temple chuckled, "Sounds like Murphy." He looked up at Jack and smirked, "They told me you haven't left her side, Jack. Something going on between you two I should know about?"

Jack raised his eyebrows at the kid and smiled for the first time in several days, "Mind your own business kid." He nodded towards Sam, "Do you want to try to talk some sense into her? She won't listen to me."

"I'll give it a shot." He walked over to Sam's side and took her hand, "Murphy, you in there? Listen, I really hate working under Ramirez, and I hate to say this, but you were right. Jenni is an imbecile, even if she is gorgeous." He looked back at Jack, grinned again, and leaned in to whisper. "You are really scaring Bauer here, and he's already scary enough as it is. As a matter of fact, I think he's in love with you, so just wake up and make him happy. All of the nurses are sick of his ugly mug around here."

Jack gave Temple a curious look when he leaned in to whisper something to Sam. He didn't care what he said, as long as she woke up. He was getting impatient and just wanted to talk to her, to kiss her and hold her.

* * *

Two days later, Jack was dozing in the chair next to Sam's bed, when he felt her hand move in his. He was instantly awake, "Sam? Wake up, honey. Come on, you can do it. Just open your eyes."

Jack pressed the nurse call button and then urged her to wake up. Sam finally fluttered her eyes and tried to focus on the face in front of her as the nurse rushed in. "She's waking up? I'll get the doctor." She left them alone and Jack leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Welcome back, Samantha?"

Sam looked around the room and croaked, "Where am I?"

"St. Vincent's hospital. You've been asleep for over a week. Don't try to talk yet, you had a tube down your throat for several days." He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at her.

She squinted her eyes at him and whispered, "Do I know you?"


	33. Chapter 33

Jack's smile dropped from his face, "What? Uh, I uh..." He rubbed his eyes and then looked back at her. A small smile lit up her faintly bruised face.

Her voice was hoarse, but she managed to say, "Hi Jack."

"You had me going." He chuckled, and squeezed her hand, "How do you feel?"

She tried to move her body, but groaned when a wave of pain washed over her. "Like crap. Every inch of my body hurts. Couldn't you have found that gun a little faster, Bauer?"

Jack shook his head at her, "I don't know whether to kiss you or hurt you. I've been worried sick about you and now you're joking with me?" He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against hers, careful not to put pressure on any part of her body.

Sam's eyes found his, "Thank you."

He was surprised, "For what?"

"Staying with me. Saving me. For everything."

"How did you know I was here?"

"I knew. Now, can I have another kiss?"

He smiled and leaned over her again, this time fully connecting their lips and kissing her with the intense relief that he was feeling. The doctor picked that moment to enter the room, "Ah, I see we're awake and already making out. That's a good sign." He picked up her chart and made some notations.

Jack stood up and wiped at his lips, "Doctor. She couldn't be too bad, she's joking with me."

The doctor smiled at Jack, "Well, let's take a look at her. Do you mind waiting outside?"

Sam protested, "No, I want him to stay."

The doctor let Jack stay and pronounced Sam as well off as she could be having just woken from a coma. Her injuries would take a while to heal and she would have to stay in the hospital for another week or so. Sam didn't like the diagnosis, but was thankful she was still alive, and that Jack was by her side.


	34. Chapter 34

"Ok, you ready to get out of here?" Jack asked Sam as he walked into her room over a week later. Jack had stayed with her as much as he could, but he had been called back into work to help with the Salazar case. However, more often than not he had slept in the chair next to her bed. After much persuasion on her part, Sam's doctors finally agreed to let her leave, but she would have to take it easy and wouldn't be able to take care of herself yet.

She sat up gingerly and shot him a look, "Are you kidding, the food is horrible, I've probably lost like twenty pounds already. Not the best way to diet, huh?"

Jack grinned at her and took her face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You look beautiful." He looked at his watch, "Sorry I'm so late, I was held up at work. I know you want to get out of here."

Sam's smile faded, "Oh, I didn't want to bother you at work, so I called my best friend Jill to come get me. She's on her way now. She said I could crash with her, she's a stay-at-home mom and can help me out."

Jack looked dejected. He hadn't talked to her about where she would be staying to recover, but he just assumed that it would be with him. However, she didn't expect him to stay home from work just to take care of her. "Jack, my place is still trashed and I can barely walk. I need someone to help me."

He stared at the ground, "I had your place cleaned. Most of your dishes were ruined and some other things, but a lot of it was salvageable. At least it's clean."

She was touched that he had thought of that. She took his hand in hers. "Thanks Jack, I really appreciate it." The door opened and Sam's friend Jill entered, a small child perched on her hip.

"Hey Sami, you look just awful."

Sam laughed and hugged her friend lightly since it was still very painful to move, "Thanks for coming Jill." She tweaked the baby's nose, "Hey there, sport." She motioned to Jack, "Jill, this is Jack. Jack Bauer." She pointed to the baby and said to Jack, "And that little cutie pie over there is Austin."

She shook his hand and then gave Sam a mischievous grin. "So this is the famous Jack Bauer. I've heard a lot about you."

Jack briefly wondered if it was good or bad, but he smiled at her and said, "Can you give me a minute alone with Sam, please?"

She looked over at Sam for confirmation, "Yeah, sure, I'll be right outside."

Jack stared at the ground, "I guess I should have talked to you about this."

"What is it Jack?"

He rubbed his head with his hand, "Um, I don't think you will be safe over at Jill's. And you could put her and her family in danger too."

"Jack, the FBI promised me they would have several teams guarding the house at all times, they don't want a repeat of that night."

"I still don't think it's safe."

"I'll be fine with Jill, don't worry."

"Sam, please! Think about it." His words came out sharper than he had intended to.

She shot him a suspicious glare, "What's this all about Jack?"

"I want you to stay with me. I mean it's my fault that you're here to begin with."

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you it's not your fault? And what about your work?"

"I cleared it with Hammond. We can go over everything together at home and call into work. I need your help on this. And if I can't be there, either Chase or Kim can stay with you. Besides, my place is easier to defend."

Sam smiled at him, of course he would think of that and he used her loyalty to her job as leverage. Though, she wasn't sure what to make of his offer. They hadn't really talked about the future or their relationship, or lack thereof. They had kept conversation light and talked mainly about her injuries or the Salazars in the time since she woke up. She and Jack were treading on new territory here, since he was basically asking her to move in with him, if only for a short time. "I don't know Jack, I'm not that easy to live with."

He wasn't sure if she was trying to let him down easy or was nervous about staying with him. He looked her in the eyes, and said with sincerity, "Let me do this for you."

She weighed the options in her mind, and came to the conclusion that, however slight the possibility, she couldn't put Jill and her family at risk. At least that was the reason that she told herself to believe. She nodded and smiled at him. "Ok, fine. But we've got to do something about your place, it's too dreary. And we definitely have to stop at In n Out Burger on the way there, I'm starving."

Jack acted offended, "Dreary? I don't know what gave you that idea."


	35. Chapter 35

"Jack, you didn't have to carry me, I could have walked." Sam laughed then clutched her chest painfully as Jack carried her up the stairs leading to his apartment.

"Yeah, but I'm hungry, and that could have taken all day."

"Hey, don't make me laugh, it hurts." She slapped his arm playfully. "And I'm not that slow, besides I have a really good excuse. But I bet I could still beat your ass at target shooting, injury and all." Jack awkwardly unlocked his door while still holding Sam, then kicked it open with his foot. Sam couldn't help but think of the cheesy cliché of the groom carrying the bride over the threshold and suddenly blushed. But unfortunately, she wasn't playing house with him. She knew the only reason that she was here was because he felt responsible about her shooting.

"I'll take that bet." He set her gently down on the couch and on the table in front of her sat a large bouquet of pale yellow lilies. She knew he wasn't the type of person who regularly displayed flowers, he must have just bought them today for her.

She beamed a large smile at him, then leaned forward to smell them. "Jack, they're beautiful."

"See, I told you it wasn't dreary." He set their food on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to get some plates.

She called out to him, "I wish you had let me go by my apartment and get some of my stuff before we ate. Now we'll have to go back out and make another trip."

Jack walked back in carrying plates and napkins. "I knew you were hungry, and there's no need to go to your place."

Sam stopped in mid-bite of a French fry she had snagged from the bag, then quickly chewed and asked, "Why not? I think I would look pretty silly wearing your clothes."

Jack looked down at the carpet, as if suddenly aware of how his actions would be perceived by Sam. "I stopped by there earlier and picked up some things for you."

Sam shot him a quizzical look, "You were pretty confidant that I would come back here with you, huh?"

His face suddenly went serious as he paused and answered, "Sam, this is the only place I can protect you. And I swear, I won't let anything else happen to you."

She took his hand, "Jack, how many times do I have to remind you that this was not your fault. Because of you, I'm not dead." He looked away, still feeling guilty for her wounds in his mind, no matter what she said. "And I'm grateful for that."

His tense face relaxed as he chuckled and grinned over at her, "Oh yeah? How grateful?"

She hit him again, and grabbed a handful of fries and surveyed her new temporary home. The apartment was small, but neat and full of light. He had opened all the windows and a fresh breeze blew through. Her second impression of his apartment was much better than the first. He had obviously tried to brighten it up a bit for her. A thought suddenly struck her. "Um, Bauer. How much did you think this little plan of yours through?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, this is a one bedroom apartment. And if there is only bedroom, that usually means there is only one bed."

"What's your point?"

She fidgeted with the straw of her drink, trying to think of the right words. "I just...I mean...shouldn't we talk about—"

Jack cut her off and smiled, "Relax, you can have the bed, I'll take the couch."

"Oh, I couldn't do that. You've spent the last two weeks sleeping in a chair next to me. I couldn't kick you out of your bed too. I'll take the couch."

"You are sleeping in that bed, end of discussion."

She stared at him for a moment and realized that it was pointless to argue with him any further. She gobbled up the rest of her sandwich and fries and then went for his plate.

He slapped at her hand when she tried to snag a few more fries. "Eat your own Murphy."

She took her hand back and laughed, "I already finished mine. Now I'm eating yours."

Jack looked over at her empty plate and shook his head, "You finished a double cheese burger and a large fries already?"

"Shut up, Bauer, I don't want to hear it. They were starving me there."

"Uh huh. I've never seen a girl eat so much so fast."

"Watch it, or I'll have to find my gun. And that would hurt. So please don't make me do it." She sat back gingerly and held her chest.

"Sam, honey, you ok?" He leaned over and put his hand on her face. "Is there anything I can get you?"

She put her hand over his and relished his touch for a moment. She took a deep breath and eased through the pain. "I'm fine."

He nodded slightly and withdrew his hand from under hers, stretched his legs out in front of him, leaned back and closed his eyes.

She scooted closer to him, and then winced at the pain just moving around caused. "Look at you, you're exhausted. Why don't you go lay down?"

"I'm not tired."

"I can take care of myself for a little while. See." She tried to get up and grabbed her head as a wave of nausea hit her. "Whoa. Maybe you could just get me a pain pill first?"

He turned his head to her and opened his eyes, "I'm fine. You're the one who needs to rest." He got one of her pills from the side table and handed her the drink, but held onto it when she placed her hand on it and looked her in eyes. "Sam, I watched you die. I watched the doctors shock your heart back to life. I won't do it again. Now, would you just for once listen to me and do what I say." She looked back at him with wide eyes, it hadn't occurred to her that he had been there for that. "Now, lay back."

"What?"

"Just lay back and give me your feet." Sam did as she was told, because she was starting to feel the pain in her chest, and it hurt her to breathe. She took the pill and closed her eyes as Jack began to rub her feet.

Sam moaned, "Wow, that feels really good. I don't think anyone has ever done that for me before."

"Really, Teri used to make me rub her feet all the time, I—sorry." He quickly shut his mouth.

"No, it's ok."

Jack was so quiet for so long that Sam opened her eyes and checked on him for fear that he had fallen asleep. "Jack?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Sorry, it's just that I haven't thought—"

"Jack, you don't have to. Um, you never told me if you got to interrogate Gibson." Sam desperately wanted to change the subject. He was clearly still in love with his wife and there was no way she could compete with a dead woman. She was an idiot for even thinking she had a chance.

He continued to rub her feet and then moved up to her ankle and calf. Sam had never been so relaxed, yet so anxious at the same time. She loved the feel of his tender hands on her body, but she knew his heart still lie with Teri.

He finally answered, "No, not yet, I was hoping to get in with him today, but CTU is still fighting the feds for access. They have interrogated him and given us the transcripts, but no one knows as much about this as I do. Hammond is really pushing them, so I should get my chance tomorrow."

His hands kept slowly moving up her legs, massaging as he went. His touch was tender and soft, almost teasing. Sam was in heaven, she didn't want him to stop, but she knew she had to keep herself at a distance, or she was going to get hurt. It was not going to be easy keeping that distance while staying here, but she had to do it. She couldn't risk her heart on Jack Bauer.

She sat up painfully and pulled her feet away and put them on the floor. "I think maybe I should just go stay with Jill. I'll be safe over there, Salazar can't connect me to her. And he probably knows where you live." She was babbling she knew, but couldn't stop herself.

He stood up, "You're staying. I'll leave." He picked up the remote and handed it to her then went to the bedroom and closed the door before she could protest.


	36. Chapter 36

Jack closed the door behind him and slid down against it, cradling his head in his hands. Oh god, what was he doing? An amazing woman was on the other side of the door and he was hiding in here. Why? Because he was afraid he could lose her again? Because he was too scared to love again?

He hadn't felt this much for anyone in a long time. With Kate, it had become difficult and strained pretty quickly, he used the undercover operation as a means to end it, but it was over long before then. And Claudia was merely a distraction in his chaotic life in Mexico. He was sorry about what she went through and had cared for her, but what he felt for her was strictly physical, there was no love.

Sam was a completely different story. He was instantly attracted to her on an emotional as well as physical level and that attraction had intensified each day as he got to know her. It had almost killed him when he watched her fighting for her life in that operating room, and he just couldn't lose another person that he loved. It was better this way, staying detached, keeping his distance. He would take care of her until she was better and they caught Salazar, then he would have to let her go. He just hoped he could.

He had to get out of here before said something to hurt her, or even worse, fell in love with her. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

"CTU Edmunds."

"Chase, it's Jack. I need you to come sit with Sam for me."

"Yeah, sure, give me about twenty minutes." He paused, then asked, "Is everything all right Jack?"

"It's fine, I just need to take care of some things and I don't want to leave her alone. Ok?"

"Sure Jack. I'll be right there."

"Hey, did you do me that favor that I asked for?"

"Yeah, I just got it back from tech a little while ago. I'll bring it with me. I hope you won't need it though."

"Yeah, me too." He hung up and sat heavily on the bed, fighting a lifetime of memories full of guilt and regret. For some reason the happy memories were harder to pull up than the ones he would rather forget. No, those stayed with him. Maybe that's why the pleasant memory of rubbing Teri's feet had overwhelmed him with emotion, it was so unexpected.

A half hour later, Sam was dozing on the couch, when there was a knock at the door. It hurt to get up, so she yelled, "Jack?" Although she wasn't even sure if he was still here.

He walked out of the bedroom and went straight for the door as if he was expecting someone. "Chase?"

"Yeah Jack, it's me."

Jack opened the door and let him in, "Thanks for coming. I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned and gave Sam a longing look, then walked out the door.

Chase turned to Sam, who looked as irritated as Jack did. "What's his problem?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Don't ask me. That man is the most hardheaded, stubborn, confusing person I have ever known. It's like he's two different people. Sometimes he's this caring, sweet, generous man, but then he shuts off, and he's like that." She pointed at the closed door. "A hard, cold, unfeeling...agent. I don't know which one the real Jack is." She brought her knees up slowly, rested her head on them and sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be saying this. I just don't have anyone else to talk to."

Chase sat down next to her, "It's ok. Look, I know Jack can be difficult. But he's had a really hard time lately." He took an object out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Oh, before I forget, here's your watch." Before she could ask, he explained, "Jack asked me to have it fixed for you. It was broken when your place was ransacked."

She took it and strapped it to her arm, "Thanks. That was nice of you. I haven't even had a chance to go over there. All my plants are probably dead."

Chase shook his head smiled at her, "Uh, I don't think they survived, sorry. At least you didn't have any pets."

"No, I never got around to it. They require too much commitment and I never know when I am going to be home. Or maybe kidnapped. Well, that's only happened the one time, but you never know." Chase chuckled, but noticed that Sam didn't laugh with him.

"Sam, what is it?"

"I realize that I don't know you very well, and you can tell me to mind my own business, but can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What happened with Jack's last girlfriend--was her name Kelly?"

"Kate. Hard to say, Jack doesn't share very much. I think she wanted more than he could give her and he used his job as an excuse to get out. I don't think things were very good a long time, but he didn't want to hurt her."

"Yes, I've noticed he's got his own notion of what is right for everyone else but himself. It's like he doesn't think he deserves happiness."

"Noticed that, have you?"

She laughed lightly since it still hurt, "Yeah." She picked at the edge of the couch cushion, she felt stupid for talking to Chase about Jack. It felt like she was back in middle school asking his best friend if he liked her. She should be talking to Jack about this, but he had fled before she could. He didn't make anything easy.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I've only known him for a year and a half, but I never saw him look at Kate the way he looks at you."

Sam's head jerked up and searched his eyes. It was difficult to gauge if he was telling the truth or just humoring her. "You don't have to say that for my benefit. I'm a big girl, I can handle the truth."

Chase pondered a moment before continuing. He wasn't sure how much he should say, he didn't want Jack to accuse him of interfering with his life. In the end, he figured if he just told Sam the truth, he couldn't be faulted for that. "I'm not just saying that. Sam, he barely left that hospital the whole time you were there. He wouldn't even let them stitch up his cuts until you were out of surgery. I've never seen him like that, he was scared to death that you weren't going to make it. Now, I think he feels that if he keeps his distance from you, you won't get hurt again."

"But that's ridiculous. I'm an agent. I could have gotten shot on the Salazar case even if he hadn't been involved."

"I know that and you know that, but it doesn't matter to Jack. The fact is that he feels responsible."

"So what should I do?"

"I really don't know. But if you feel the same way about him that he does about you, and I think that you do, then you have to talk to him about it."

"Thanks Chase, I think I do too. Lord knows I've tried not to feel this way, but I do."

"And don't let him put you off with his job excuses. Do you want me to hold him down for you?"

Sam giggled, "I'll keep your offer in mind, it might come to that." She glanced at Chase, "You know, Kim is a very lucky woman. I hope she knows that."

He grinned at her, "Yeah, I think she does. I'm lucky too, but it hasn't been easy dating Jack Bauer's daughter."

Sam laughed again, she was really beginning to like Chase. "I can imagine."


	37. Chapter 37

Kim tore her eyes from her computer screen when she noticed Jack walk through security, "Dad? What are you doing here?"

Jack met her in the middle of the CTU floor and hugged her tightly. "Hey sweetheart, how you doing?"

"I'm fine, Angela hasn't been sleeping well, she's teething." She pulled back and searched his face. "All right, what's wrong?"

He averted his eyes, "Nothing. Everything's fine."

"Dad? Is it Sam, is she ok?"

"No, she's fine. I just need to do a little work. Chase is staying with her. I'm going up to my office."

Kim nodded at him, "Yeah, ok. I'm working with Chloe on some new information we got from the Feds on Salazar. I'll send it to your screen."

"Ok, thanks honey." Jack turned and walked up the stairs and Kim stared after him, instinctively knowing that something was bothering him. She would talk to him later, right now her first priority was finding Salazar. So far, he had managed to elude detection. Not one legitimate sighting had been made since the shootout with Jack and Sam, and Kim was hoping this new intel could point them in the right direction. She was worried that he would continue to come after her dad and Sam until he killed them. She wouldn't let that happen.

Kim stood up to hand a file over the cube to Adam, when she glanced up at her dad's office. Jack was still in the same position he had been the last several times she had checked on him over the past hour. He was leaning forward in his chair, chin in his hands, staring through the glass down at the CTU floor. His face was blank. After the phone call she just had from Chase, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was wrong.

She told Chloe she was taking a short break and climbed the short flight of stairs to his office. "Dad? Can I talk to you?"

Jack jerked up as Kim broke the silence that had surrounded him. He offered his daughter a genuine smile. "Sure honey, what's on your mind?"

"Well, actually, it's what's on your mind."

"What are you talking about?"

Kim stood in front of her dad and put her hands on her hips. "I've looked up here four times in the last hour, and you haven't moved. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jack moved papers around on his desk in an effort to avoid looking her in the eye.

"Dad. You can talk to me." She pulled a chair from in front of his desk and sat down facing him. "Did something happen between you and Sam?"

Jack looked up, "What makes you say that?"

"Well one, because Chase called and said that Sam is a mess—"

Jack cut her off, "What do you mean, is she ok?"

"She's fine, physically. But according to Chase, you've really confused her."

Jack nodded and said softly, "And what was two?"

"You never left her side when she was in the hospital, she is practically living with you and now you're hiding here when you don't need to be."

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I'm interviewing Gibson tomorrow, I needed to prepare." The excuse didn't even sound plausible to his own ears, he knew it wouldn't fool Kim. He couldn't lie to her, and she obviously knew he hadn't done any work since he arrived.

"Dad, you could have prepared at home. Sam probably could have even helped you, he was her boss after all."

"It's complicated, honey. I can't explain it to you ok."

"What's complicated? I know you are crazy about her and she obviously feels the same way. You have a lot in common and neither of you are married." She took his hands in hers, "I just want you to be happy Dad."

"I know sweetheart. But you of all people should know that this job has ruined every relationship I have ever had."

Kim shook her head. "No, I don't buy it. You can't use your job as an excuse this time. She's an agent too and she knows the dangers. She is putting herself at risk, you aren't. You just have to accept it and work on it. I know what happened with mom really hurt you, but you have to keep living. And love and loss is a part of living." She choked back a tear when she looked in his face, but she kept going, trying to get her point into his thick head. She put her hands on either side of his face for emphasis, "I know you're falling in love with Sam. Don't fight it and just take a risk. You deserve happiness Dad, but you won't get it if you don't even try."

Jack was stunned by her perception of the situation, but it was tough to take, especially from his little girl. "But with Kate—"

"No, Sam is not Kate. You can't judge her on how your relationship with Kate ended. Just give it a chance. Now, I'm going to send you that data and I want you to at least think about what I said. Ok?" He nodded as she stood up and pushed her chair back, then went back over and embraced Jack, "I love you Dad."

"I love you too sweetheart. Thanks." He went back to shuffling papers on his desk.

Kim opened the door to the office and stopped in the doorway, "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I really like Sam. She's pretty cool." Then she turned and left. Jack smiled after her. This was a turning of the tides, his daughter offering him advice on love. He thought Teri would probably be laughing at him right now if she knew.

* * *

Sam was already in bed by the time he got home and relieved Chase. Jack was poised to defend remarks from Chase, but the boy just gave him a knowing look and left. He went and checked on Sam, who was fast asleep on her back and snoring lightly. He chuckled and pulled the covers up over her then found some blankets for the couch. He tried to stretch out, but the couch was about a foot too short. He ended up hanging his feet off the end rather uncomfortably, but it was better than curling up.

He closed his eyes, but sleep was out of the question. Kim's words ran over and over through his mind, like a song you can't get out of your head once you hear it. "Love and loss is a part of living. I know you're falling in love with Sam. Don't fight it and just take a risk."

Falling asleep in Jack's bed had been very disconcerting for Sam. She could smell his distinct masculine scent on the pillow, but he wasn't in the room with her. She felt the emptiness from the other side of the bed and longed for his arms to safely envelope her. Sam woke up with a start when she realized that she had only been dreaming that Jack was holding her. She stumbled around in the dark to use the bathroom, but she wasn't used to the layout yet and kicked the dresser. She swore under her breath, "Son of a bitch!" She bit her finger to keep from crying out.

The clock told her it was after two am, but she had never heard Jack come in. She slowly shuffled out into the living room and found him in the most awkward position on the couch, his calves and feet hanging off the end. He looked uncomfortable and his face didn't even look peaceful. She went over to him and touched him gently on the shoulder, "Jack?"

He sat upright and nearly knocked her over, "What? What is it?"

Sam grabbed onto his arm to stay upright, but didn't let go. "Come on."

"What?"

"Jack, you obviously don't fit on the couch. Just come on." She stood up slowly and groaned with the effort. "I trust you and I just can't let you sleep here."

Jack rubbed his back and looked down at the alternative, "Yeah, ok." He smiled and pointed at her, "But you snore."

She sulked, "I do not and I get the right side. Now help me into bed."

He picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom and set her gently on the bed as Sam giggled. "I just meant to help me walk, you didn't have to carry me again."

He got into bed facing her and leaned over to kiss her cheek, "Good night Samantha. And thanks."

She reached over and took her hand in his and closed her eyes, "Night Bauer."


	38. Chapter 38

This is my favorite chapter by far - I hope you enjoy it too...I will try to get the rest of the story up soon, I already have a sequel planned.

* * *

Jack opened his eyes when the sun penetrated the open windows and then his eyelids. During the night, he had unknowingly scooted close to Sam and now held her in his arms. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and studied her sleeping face. She was stunning and it had been so long since he had woken up next to a beautiful woman.

He pulled his arms possessively around her and kissed her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled over at him. It was nice to wake up in someone's arms again. She felt so safe and warm, and perhaps even the tiniest bit loved. It was like his walking out on her last night didn't even happen.

Jack brought his arms back to his side, "Sorry, I promised to keep my hands to myself."

Sam turned on her back, "No, it's ok Jack. I just thought that—"

Jack rubbed his eyes and sat up quickly, "What time is it?"

Sam turned at looked at the clock on her side, "It's ten after eight, why?"

"They are bringing Gibson over to CTU at nine. I should be there when he gets in." He climbed out of bed, "I'm going to shower. Do you need any help before I go?"

Sam shook her head, but didn't say anything. When he left the room, she muttered to herself, "Good morning to you too Jack. Yes, I would love to talk to you about why I can't get you out of my mind. You too? Oh well, maybe we belong together after all. If you weren't such a stubborn, hard headed—"

Jack stuck his head out of the bathroom door, a towel wrapped around his waist, "Did you say something?"

Sam looked up innocently at him and shook her head, "Nope. Not me."

Jack gave her a curious look, he was sure he heard her talking, "Oh, ok."

Sam scooted off the bed and stood up slowly. The pain in her chest was still overwhelming, so she took baby steps out into the kitchen to get a pain pill. She almost felt geriatric because she had to walk so slowly. She hated being so dependant on someone else, she detested feeling so out of control and helpless. She had been basically been taking care of herself since she was thirteen when her mom died, and it was hard to relinquish that control, even if she was in severe pain.

She made her way back into the bedroom and sat on the bed. The night table drawer was slightly ajar and her curiosity got the better of her. She looked to make sure Jack was in the shower, then opened it and found a framed picture of Teri and Jack. It looked like it was taken earlier than the one she had found the other day. Jack must still love her. She heard the shower shut off and went to put the picture back, when she noticed a small revolver and switchblade underneath.

She quickly shut the drawer and sat on the bed facing the bathroom door. Jack came out a few minutes later with wet hair and the same towel around his waist. He stopped when he saw her face. "What's the matter?"

She sulked, "I need a shower too, but I can't even lift my arm to take off my shirt. How am I going to wash my hair, let alone stand in the shower long enough to get clean? I feel yucky."

Jack kneeled down next to her and put her chin in his hand, "Do you want me to help you?"

Sam looked down as she realized that "help" would entail him undressing her. "Sam, I have seen you naked, you don't have to be embarrassed."

She pushed his hand away, "I'm not embarrassed." His towel parted as he moved his leg to balance himself and she caught a glimpse of his unit, and blushed.

He noticed the redness creep into her face, "I'll close my eyes if you are that uncomfortable, but I think you're gorgeous." She thought he was teasing her, but with Jack she couldn't be sure.

She almost giggled when she thought of what she just saw, but didn't tell him. Instead she straightened her mouth and kept her tone serious. "Fine. Help me off with my shirt."

He stood up, "Just let me get dressed." As if to illustrate his point, he let his towel fall to the floor in front of her and grabbed some boxers and slacks from the dresser and stepped into them, leaving his chest bare. "Why don't you just take a bath? That way I can wash your hair and you don't have to stand up."

Sam nodded, she didn't want him to think she was bashful but stripping in front of the man who she was falling in love with, and had no idea of his feelings back, was a little disconcerting. She walked over to him and he helped her ease her right arm out of her shirt without coming in contact with her bandaged chest. The left side wasn't as painful, but she still winced at the movement. Jack carefully pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor and stared at her. "You are beautiful, Samantha Murphy." He reached out his hands, placed them on her shoulders and ran his fingertips down the length of her arms, took her hands in his and led her into the bathroom.

He started the water and added some bubble bath. Before she could even ask, he explained, "Kim's, from when she lived with me before. I just never threw them out."

She only nodded. She leaned over to and tried to push her pants off, but groaned with the effort. Jack stood in front of her and pulled them down and let her step out of them. Sam stood in front of Jack completely naked and tried to act nonchalant, but inside she was shaking. He folded her clothes and set them aside and then put out his hand to help her into the tub. The hot water made her want to melt, but it felt good after having only sponge baths for so long in the hospital. The bubbles caressed her skin and thankfully gave her a little cover.

"Lean back and put your head under the faucet." He held her back up with one hand and helped her lean back so she wouldn't stretch too much and cause her pain. He ran his fingers through her hair to wet it and shivers raced through her body. He helped her sit up, then squeezed some shampoo into his hand and massaged it through her hair. Sam closed her eyes and relished his gentle touch. Something about it was so intimate and sensual, although there was nothing sexual to his touch.

He worked the lather through her long hair and turned the water back on, leaning her back again to rinse it out, then added conditioner to her clean hair, running his hands through it as he went. Without prompting, he took a washcloth and ran soap over it, then applied it gently to her back as he moved her hair over her shoulder.

Jack gallantly fought the urge to run his hands all over her body and tried to keep his touch light as he finished her back and ran the cloth down her arm to her fingertips. Sweat beaded on his forehead, he wasn't sure if it was from the steam of the bath or the touch of her warm skin, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep his hands off of her. He moved to the other arm and had to lean across her body to reach it. As he did, he looked over to find her bright blue eyes full of want and desire.

He couldn't stop himself and moved to meet her lips, careful to keep his touch tender. He pulled back and traced her wet lips with his finger, then followed a drop of water down her neck to her chest, where he outlined the bandages that covered her wound, then moved his hand to leisurely trace the curve of her breasts. Sam sucked in her breath and bit her lip to keep from moaning. He covered her mouth with his own and gave her small teasing kisses, nibbling her bottom lip with his teeth.

Sam was almost ready to pull him into the tub with her, despite her injury, to stop the torment and fulfill the desire he had awakened so easily, when his cell phone rang. Jack pulled back and fumbled around on the floor for it while he muttered under his breath, "Dammit!"

He gave Sam an apologetic glance and snapped, "Bauer."

"Jack, it's Chase. They are going to move Gibson, but want you to be there to keep an eye out for Jose Salazar. You are the only one who has seen him up close and can identify him. They think he might show up."

Jack sighed, "Right now?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, can you call Kim to come stay with Sam?"

"Sure, but we need you now."

"Copy that, I'm on my way." He closed his phone, stood up, and looked longingly at Sam's wet, naked body. "I'm sorry, we'll have to finish this later." He bent over and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. "Let's rinse your hair out, then I'll help you get dressed. Kim will come keep you company, I have to escort Gibson over to CTU."

Sam just nodded, afraid that if she said anything, it would only be a plea for him to stay and finish what he started. He rinsed her hair, helped her out of the tub and wrapped a towel and his arms around her. He whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry I have to go."

She managed to croak, "Me too."

He found some clothes and quickly helped her into them. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, searched her eyes for a moment and said, "I'll see you later."

As he turned to leave, she yelled out to him, "Jack!"

He stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk when you get home?"

He smiled at her, "Yeah, ok. I'll be home as soon as I can. Kim will be here soon." Then he turned and left, locking the door on his way out. He stopped and told the agents guarding his place that Kim would be coming over then climbed into his SUV and tried to focus on Salazar, but his mind kept returning to Samantha.

Maybe Kim was right, he would never be happy with just his job for comfort. He didn't want to think about the mistakes from his past or even if he deserved her. He probably didn't, but he decided right then and there that he was going to hold on to her with both hands. As much as he almost certainly should, he didn't want to let her go. It was selfish of him because she could find someone else, someone better, someone who wasn't him. But he had made the decision that he wanted her, and no one else could have her.

Sam's mind was replaying what had almost happened just a few minutes ago when she heard a knock at the door. She got up painfully and moved over to the door, "Kim?"

"No Sami, it's Jill. I need to talk to you."

She opened the door and found her best friend holding her little boy tightly. She nodded to the agent who accompanied her to the door, "It's ok, she's fine."


	39. Chapter 39

Jack's cell phone rang in his pocket on his way over to FBI headquarters. "Bauer."

"Dad, it's me." Kim hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I just got over to your apartment."

"What's wrong, sweetheart."

"Well, Sam's not here."

"What?"

"The agents outside said that she left with a friend, um, a Jill Prince. You told her I was coming, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sure everything's fine. Kim, look, I'm almost there. Check in with the agents assigned to follow her and get back to me."

Jack closed the phone and hoped that there was a reasonable explanation for why Sam wasn't there. He tried to put her out of his mind as he focused on the task at hand. He walked into the FBI and flashed his badge. The guard led him back and introduced him to SAIC Charlie Crocker, Gibson's replacement. Jack shook the man's hand and then greeted Temple warmly, "How you doing kid?"

"Better when this is all over. Any leads on Salazar from your end?"

"No, not really." Jack checked his watch and looked around nervously. "We ready to go?"

Agent Crocker outlined their transport plan, "Yeah, the guards are bringing him up from holding now. He'll ride in the middle car with you Jack, I'll be in the lead car, and Agent Temple will bring up the rear. We have a total of ten agents plus helicopter surveillance, so we should be prepared for almost anything."

Jack slipped his Kevlar vest on and checked his weapon, "Let's go."

He walked towards the garage and Temple caught up with him and grinned at Jack. He said with a barely contained smile, "So, how's Sam doing?"

"She's fine." He glanced at his watch again. "She left the apartment without telling anyone though. It's not like her."

"Do you think something happened?"

"I don't know yet. But she can barely walk, why would she leave?"

Temple just shrugged his shoulders. The guards brought Gibson up, his legs and arms in connecting shackles and chains. Jack was shocked by the change in Gibson's appearance and demeanor. This was a different man than the one who tried to kill him. Before, he was confident and almost cocky, but the man in front of him now was broken, fearful, and small. Jack stood toe to toe with him and smiled, "Hello Gibson."

Gibson didn't respond, just continued to stare at his shoes, so Jack continued. "Where's your friend Jose these days. I owe him." Jack pushed his elbow hard into Gibson's gut, who bent over in pain. Agent Crocker turned around, "Bauer, what happened?"

"I don't know sir."

Crocker looked at Temple, who saw the whole thing, "Agent Temple?"

Temple looked blankly at Crocker, "Sir, he must be having stomach pains. He just doubled over." He grabbed Gibson by the arm and pulled him toward the middle SUV and opened the door. He punched him in the side before he pushed him in the truck. Jack smiled at the young man's enthusiasm and followed closely behind, keeping a sharp eye out.

Jack sat next to Gibson, "Why did you pick Agent Murphy?" He was careful not to let his emotions for Sam get the better of him.

Gibson looked over at him with hooded eyes, but didn't speak.

Jack punched him in the gut again and left Gibson gasping for air. The agent driving turned and looked at Jack, but refrained from commenting. No agent at the Bureau would come to Gibson's defense after what he had done. Jack sneered in his ear, "Start talking now, because if you wait till we get to CTU, I'm going to have to get Agent Richards involved. And he is very skilled in the art of torture." He punched him again, "So, I'll ask you again, why did you pick Murphy?"

Gibson fought for air, then mumbled, "I thought she would be easy to control."

Jack smiled at the thought of anyone trying to control Samantha. "Why?"

"She's a woman. And she had an affair with Travers, I thought I could use that to my advantage."

"Looks like you misjudged her. Now where is Salazar?"

Gibson raised his shackled arms as much as was allowed by the chains, "I swear I don't know, we only spoke by secure cell phones, I never met him in person. He always used intermediaries to deliver the money. I—I swear."

Jack looked out each window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Salazar and end this thing, once and for all. He spoke into his radio, "All clear here. Any sign of him?"

The radio hissed back at him, then the other two cars as well as the chopper reported an all clear. They were not being followed and it looked like they would make the short drive over to CTU without incident. Jack checked his watch again wondering why it was taking Kim so long to get back to him when he heard a loud explosion. The lead car erupted into a ball of fire and Jack could feel the heat radiating from the blast through the window. He yelled to the driver, "Move, move, turn here!" He radioed to Temple, "Temple, we'll have to split up, you go left, we'll go right." Jack ignored his cell phone that rang in his pocket.

The chopper pilot's voice yelled over them, "We got a sniper with a rocket launcher in the southeast building, five floors up, get out of there, now!"

Jack yelled back, "Copy that!" and then leaned toward the driver as bullets struck the windshield, "Go, go!" The agent in the passenger seat slumped forward with a hole in his head. Jack switched channels and pushed the button on his radio, "We're under attack, do you copy?"

Chase answered back, "Copy that Jack, we've already sent out teams and alerted local PD, I'm following you on satellite. Turn right at the next light, it should get you out from between those buildings. Don't worry Jack, I'll get you out."

He pointed for the driver, "Turn here. Good, now step on it." He put the radio to his mouth, "Thanks Chase." Jack took his gun out and put it under Gibson's chin, "Who is out there?"

Gibson was visibly shaken, but he spoke in a quiet, calm voice, almost void of expression. "It—it's Salazar. I've ruined my life. I'm already dead." He moved his cuffed hands quickly before Jack could fend him off. He put them over Jack's and used his thumb to make Jack's finger pull the trigger. The back of his head was blown away instantly, and his lifeless body slid over onto Jack.

"No!" He checked the pulse, then grabbed the radio, "Chase, we have a man down! Gibson just killed himself!" Jack wiped the blood that had spattered on his face away with the sleeve of his jacket. "How much farther?"

"About two miles, I think you're safe now."

"Temple, you still there?"

The radio hissed for a moment, then Temple answered, "Yeah, we got one injured, but we're ok. Gees, Jack, you draw fire wherever you go, don't you?"

"Just meet us at CTU, they'll have an ambulance waiting for you. Gibson's dead."

"Copy Jack."

Jack and the driver were the only ones who survived the drive from the first two cars. Everyone in the lead car was killed on impact. After they finally arrived back at CTU, Jack watched as the paramedics carried the two bodies out of the car when Chase came running out. "Jack, you're covered in blood, are you ok?"

Jack looked down at his blood soaked shirt, "Yeah, it's not mine." Temple's car pulled up and Jack went over to meet him. "Kid, are you ok?"

Temple nodded, but looked a little shell-shocked. Chase interrupted them when he offered Jack his cell phone, "It's Kim, she tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

Jack tore his eyes from the blood soaked car in front of him and found Chase's grave face staring at him. He grabbed the phone, "Kim, what is it?"

"Dad, Sam's gone."

Jack's teeth ground together, this day just kept getting worse. He snapped, "What do you mean gone?"

"The agents followed her over to Jill Prince's house. She was in there for a while, so the agents went to the door to check on her and she's not there. Jill was in tears and they're questioning her now. Dad, what do you want me to do?"

"Meet me over there. Do you have the address?"

"Yeah, it's 3443 58th Street."

"Copy that, thanks sweetheart."

Jack hung up the phone and looked gravely at Temple, "Sam's missing. I need your help."

Temple put his hand on Jack's shoulder and nodded earnestly, "You bet sir."


	40. Chapter 40

Jack looked down at his blood soaked shirt and began to unbutton it, "Chase, give me your shirt. I'm going to need another truck, mine's still over at the Bureau. And activate the signal." He took Chase's shirt and waited for him to bring out keys. "Thanks, I'll call you from the road. Get me her location as soon as possible."

Chase handed the keys over, "I've already got Chloe on it, Jack. We'll find her."

Jack and Temple drove to Jill's house in silence. Jack was trying to reassure himself that Sam was fine, while Temple was trying to calm down from the firefight he had just survived. He was transforming from rookie to seasoned agent fairly quickly, and if he kept partnering up with Jack, he would be a veteran in no time. Jack pulled up to the Prince house and found Kim's car out front. They walked to front door and found several agents already inside.

Jack found Kim talking to a very distraught Jill Prince. Kim looked up when she saw her dad, whispered something to Jill, then stood up to meet him. "Dad!"

She gave him a quick hug, when he asked, "Has she told you where Sam is yet?"

Kim shook her head, "She's just stopped crying. From what I could get out of her, Salazar got to her and threatened to kill her baby if she didn't get Sam out of your apartment." Jack looked over at Sam's friend and felt a pang of sympathy for her. He knew what it was like to do anything to protect your child and those you love. And right now for him, that included Sam.

He walked over to Jill, "Jill, do you remember me? I'm Jack Bauer. I need you to help me find Sam."

Jill sniffed and wiped her eyes, "They were going to kill Austin. I had to." Fresh tears fell down her face.

Jack kneeled in front of her and said in a soft voice, "I know. I understand. But right now, Sam is in danger and she needs your help. Now, tell me what happened."

Jill nodded slightly and explained that four men were waiting in her house when she got home from shopping with her son. They told her if she did as she was told, she would live, if not, her son would die. She had no choice. They followed her as she drove over to Jack's apartment and told her a sniper was trained on her and if she alerted the agents or if Sam didn't come along quietly, Austin would be shot. At this point in her story, Jill broke down and began sobbing again. "I didn't know what else to do. They had guns. I told Sam and she didn't hesitate, she came with me."

Jack urged her on, while trying not to upset her even more. "Jill, what happened when you got back here?"

"They saw the agents follow us, they knew she was being watched. So once we got here, they took her out the back. Then they left. That's all I know."

"Did they hurt her?"

Jill shook her head, "Not that I saw."

"Jill, this is very important. Did you notice if Sam was wearing her watch?"

Jill gave Jack a strange look, but answered, "Um, I'm not sure, I don't remember seeing it, but I was so scared."

"It's ok, how many of them did you see?"

"Um, just the four. All Hispanic looking. One of them had a gold tooth, right here." She pointed at her lower canine tooth. Jack shot a look at Temple, confirming it was Salazar.

Jack took a moment to call Chase to check on the trace. "Anything yet?"

"We have a signal, but we're still trying to triangulate it though. I'll let you know when we have a location. Did you get anything from the friend?"

"Not really, I'm still questioning her. Get that location, Chase."

Jack questioned Jill for a couple more minutes, but nothing was very helpful. "Ok, Jill, did Sam have anything with her? Her purse, phone, anything?"

Jill paused and searched the ground, then looked up at Jack. "Before we left your apartment, I think she did go back into the bedroom for a minute. They searched her and scanned her for bugs when we got here, but didn't find anything. So no, I guess."

Jack's cell phone rang in his pocket, "Bauer."

"Hello Jack." Jack motioned to Temple, it was Salazar.

Jack's jaw tightened. "Where is she?"

"If you play along, you might just see her again."

"If you hurt her, I will kill you."

Jose laughed. "Jack, I always get what I want. And right now, I want you to go to the corner of University and Vine. There is a small bank there, University Savings. Park in the lot and get into the silver BMW that will be parked next to a tree. Roberto will bring you to me."

"Where's Sam?"

Jose ignored him. "Oh, and Jack. You better come alone, or you will never see her again, and believe me, we will know if you try anything. You have fifteen minutes." Jose hung up and Jack rubbed his forehead. How was he going to get her back and not get himself killed in the process?


	41. Chapter 41

Sam sat motionless in the hard metal folding chair as instructed, despite the pain the position was inflicting. Of course, the gun pushed into her temple was a strong motivator; she was told to be quiet or she would have a bullet in her skull. She bit her lip as she listened to Salazar call Jack, desperately wanting to shout out not to give himself up for her. Unfortunately, knowing Jack, he would do it.

She had no idea where she was, Salazar had forced her into the trunk of the car as they escorted her at gunpoint out the back of Jill's house. The pain from her chest had been overwhelming, but she gritted her teeth and endured it, knowing she had to stay conscious if she had any chance to survive this.

When she had opened the door to find her best friend terrified for her life, it didn't take her long to figure out what had happened. She didn't have a choice but to go with her, she would do anything to protect Jill and Austin. After all, it was her fault for involving Jill. Her only hope was the knife she had taken from Jack's bedside table that was uncomfortably hidden among the many bandages criss-crossing her chest. She wished she could have taken the gun too, but it was too bulky to find a suitable hiding place. Sam silently thanked her mom for passing down her nosiness gene, it had paid off when she found that knife in Jack's drawer.

Sam knew that she was in the kitchen of a small, modest house, but it could be anywhere in LA. Mindful of the gun on her head, she moved only her eyes and glanced down at her watch. It was just after 10 a.m.; Jack should have escorted Gibson to CTU by now. Hopefully he learned something from Gibson that will help him find her, otherwise she didn't see any way out of this. Once Jack did as he was told, they would kill him, then her.

* * *

Jack hung up the phone. He looked at Kim and said softly, "I'm sorry honey, I have to go." He hugged her tightly, "I love you sweetheart, more than anything. But I have to do this."

Kim looked confused, "Dad. What are you talking about? What are you going to do?"

Jack was conflicted, but he knew he had to go. He steeled his resolve, even knowing he may never see her again. "Kim, if anything happens to me, I know that Chase will take good care of you."

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, "Dad, I love you. You can't go, there has to be another way."

Jack wiped away a tear from her face. "I wish there were sweetie. I really need to go, and I want you to get back to CTU and help Chase and Chloe coordinate this."

Kim swiped at her eyes with her sleeve and gave him another hug, then walked to her car. She took one last long look at her father before getting in and taking off.

Jack walked out with Temple in his wake, "What's the plan, Jack?"

Jack took out his phone and held up his finger to Temple. "Chase, please tell me you have that location."

"Working on it Jack, the signal is intermittent, so it's taking longer than we anticipated. Chloe thinks it will be another twenty minutes."

"Dammit! Sam might not have that long."

"We're doing the best we can."

"Yeah, ok. Just get it and send the teams as soon as you have a positive location. I want Baker to lead the assault. I have to meet Salazar. Get a satellite feed on the University Savings on University and Vine. I've been ordered to get into a silver BMW there. Follow that car wherever it goes, and send out teams on a corresponding course, we can't let them know they're following."

"Jack, what are you going to do once you get there?"

"I don't know. Just get that location." He hung up and leaned back against the truck, his hands over his face.

Temple took the spot next to him, "You ok, Jack?"

Jack gave him a slight smile, "Yeah. You ready?" When Temple nodded, he continued, "You think you can follow me without being seen?"

Temple gave him a boyish grin, "What do you think I am, a rookie?" When Jack shot him a skeptical look, he pointed a finger at Jack and added, "On second thought, don't answer that. However, I do think that in Jack years, I already have five years of experience behind me." Jack's worried look did not disappear, so Temple put his hand on Jack's shoulder, "Trust me. Have I let you down yet?"

"No, and you better not start now. Leave one agent here to guard Jill, and take the other two with you, but stay out of sight. I'm dead if you're spotted. Chase will be following me on satellite, so keep in constant contact with him."

Temple gave Jack a mock salute, "Yes sir." He walked back towards the house, but stopped and turned around when he got to the sidewalk leading up to the house. "Jack, be careful and for god sakes find Murphy. I'm getting pretty tired of saving your asses."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. Temple's remark earned a smile before he got in his truck and started it. He called Chase, "I'm on my way now."

"Copy that, we've got a silver BMW in the parking lot. No other activity outside. Don't worry Jack, we won't let you out of our sight."

"Thanks Chase. I'll get back to you." Jack pulled out into the intersection and headed for the bank. When he pulled into the parking lot, he immediately spotted the car located next to a large palm tree. He parked next to it and got out. The driver also got out of his car and walked over to Jack.

"Bauer?"

"Yeah."

"If you want to see Sam again, leave your cell phone and weapon in the car." He pushed his jacket aside slightly to reveal two semi-automatic weapons holstered at each side, a not-so-subtle hint to Jack to not attempt anything stupid. Jack ditched his phone and gun into the passenger seat and closed the door. The man passed a wand over Jack and patted him down. Satisfied, he reached in his back pocket and pulled out a set of handcuffs, tossing them to Jack. "Put these on and get in."

* * *

"Ok, Temple, I've got him. Two figures standing between the cars. Looks like he's being searched."

"Copy that." A smile spread across Temple's face, "Hey Chase, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Are you a masochist or something?"

"Say again Temple."

"I heard you're dating Jack Bauer's daughter. You have a death wish?"

Chase laughed into the microphone, "You don't know the half of it." The images moved on the satellite and he instantly turned serious, "Ok, we're on, he's getting into the car now, a silver BMW. No angle on the license plate."

"Copy that Chase, we're two blocks back and one over. We'll stay parallel to him, just keep us updated when they turn."

"Ok, they are turning north onto University."

"Son of a bitch!"

"What?"

"Um, we've got a problem. Two more silver BMW's just joined them. They're playing a goddamn shell game with us. I lost which one Jack is in."


	42. Chapter 42

"Chloe, did you follow him?"

Chloe never took her eyes off the screen, "Don't talk to me Chase or I'll lose him. I think he's in the one on the right, now the left."

"Temple, two of them are turning right, they're splitting up."

"Copy, which one should we follow?"

"Just a minute Temple." He turned to Chloe and asked urgently, "Which one is he in?"

Chloe bit her nail. "Chase, don't pressure me. I'm trying to follow them."

"Which one!"

She pointed to the screen, "That one, he's turning left onto Sunset."

"Temple, he's turning left onto Sunset."

"Yeah, we're on it. I've got a visual, two blocks ahead."

"Remember to stay out of sight, they'll be looking for a tail."

"Not a problem. There's construction for the next couple of blocks, so the traffic is pretty thick right now. Are you sure that Jack's in that car?"

Chase sighed and looked over at Chloe, "I hope so."

"Any word on Murphy yet?"

"Hang on, let me check with Chloe." He yelled over to her, "How are we coming with that trace on Agent Murphy?"

Chloe tapped on her keyboard for a minute, "I've got it narrowed down to a three block radius, she's somewhere in Canoga Park. Give me another few minutes to get an exact address."

"Thanks Chloe. Forward that location to Baker's team. Temple, Sam's somewhere in Canoga Park."

Temple stared at the silver BMW in the distance ahead of them, "I think that's where this one must be headed. He keeps going in circles, though."

* * *

Jack sat in silence given that none of his questions to the driver, Roberto, had been answered. Instead, he concentrated on following where they were going, but so far they were only going in large circles. He hoped that Chase hadn't lost him when they brought in the decoy Beamers. Since he didn't know if they were bringing him to the same place as Sam, the satellite coverage was the only way that they would be able to find him.

The car suddenly swerved into a McDonald's parking lot and the driver put the car in park. He took out a red handkerchief, "Turn your head." Jack didn't see an alternative, so he turned his head and allowed the man to blindfold him. Now he was literally going in blind, he put his trust in Chase and Temple, hoping they would come through for him.

* * *

"Get in there, bitch!" The man whose pistol had left an indention in the side of her head pushed her roughly into a small room. Sam clutched at her chest as the pain radiated out through her body. He walked over to her and ran the muzzle of his gun down her chest, eying her breasts. "I'll be back for you later." He winked at her and then engaged the deadbolt lock behind him.

The dingy room only held a bare mattress on the floor and a narrow door along one wall. She opened it to reveal a small, empty closet. An undersized square window set high up in the wall was boarded up, allowing only a slice of light through around the edges. Sam gingerly sat down on the mattress and tried not to succumb to despair and act like a victim. Although she was a trained agent and had never considered herself very girly, the female urge to cry had never been greater than it was now.

Sam looked at her watch. It was now almost 10:45, she had been sitting in here for over half an hour. She wondered how long she had left to live. Sam unwrapped her bandage and took out the knife, squeezing it in her hand for strength, when she heard the lock tumble. She quickly lay back on the bed and pretended to be asleep or unconscious.

* * *

"Ok, open the door and get out, slowly."

Jack reached out blindly and found the door handle. He opened the door and stood up. Roberto grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the house. "Where are we?"

"Shut up." He pushed Jack hard in the back, "Move." Jack stumbled over a curb and fell onto his hands and knees. The man pulled him up by the back of the shirt, "Get up. Keep walking."

* * *

Sam could feel the man cross the room and then stand over her. She concentrated on keeping her breathing even and her heart rate normal. The knife was gripped tightly in her palm, hidden by her other arm. She flinched as he pushed her onto her back and put his hands on her breasts. His face was inches from hers when he whispered, "I know you're awake, bitch. Don't fight me too much, or I'll have to hurt you." He began to unbutton his pants.

"Fuck you." Sam brought the knife up and plunged it into his chest, piercing his heart. She quickly scooted out from under him before he fell on the bed, gasping for air. "You're right, I was awake." Sam froze as she listened and waited for others to rush in, but after a moment when no one came, she formulated a plan. The man was probably twice her size, but she managed to scoot him off the bed and drag him over to the closet. She felt for a pulse, it was weak and thready and his shirt was already soaked in blood. Despite her pain, she pulled the knife out of his chest and pushed his unconscious body into the closet and closed the door.

She turned around and surveyed the room. There was a trail of blood from the bloodstained mattress to the closet, she fought back the nausea that turned her stomach. Sam was running on pure adrenaline now, the pain from her chest was almost forgotten. She turned the mattress over and aligned it so it covered the blood trail, otherwise, the room looked fine.

The door was unlocked now, so Sam cracked it and peeked out. She found herself at the end of a narrow hallway with no one else around. She stepped out of the room and snuck down the hall, her knuckles white from her grip on the knife. She looked around the corner, but didn't see anyone either. As a matter of fact, she hadn't seen or heard anyone in a while, since the phone call Jose made to Jack. Sam found herself only steps away from a door leading outside.

* * *

Roberto pushed Jack into the house, "Stand over there." He lifted the blindfold off his head, and Jack came face to face with Jose Salazar once again.

Jose smiled widely at Jack, "Hola, Bauer. I told you I always get my way."

"Where is Agent Murphy?"

"Oh, she is being taken care of, I promise you that."

"What are you going to do with us?"

"We'll get to that. First things first, what did Gibson tell you?"

"Enough."

Jose walked over to Jack and punched him in the stomach, "Someone should teach you some manners Bauer. Ramone put up with your shit, I don't have to."

"Tell me where she is, and I'll tell you what Gibson told me."

This earned Jack a backhand across the cheek. "I don't take orders from you."

Jack was losing his patience. He spit some blood at Jose's boots and screamed, "Where is she?"

* * *

Sam paused in the middle of sliding the door open when she heard yelling. That sounded like Jack. Oh god, he did it, he gave himself up for her. She had to do something, so she closed the door and snuck along the wall towards the front room to take a look. She carefully peeked around the corner and saw Jack in handcuffs, his face angry. Jose had his back to her. She recognized the one guard standing near Jack and another on the other side of the room.

Jack looked up and surprise flashed over his face when he saw Sam, then quickly hid it before he gave her away. He checked on Jose, who had taken a call on his cell phone, and waved his fingers slightly at Sam, to tell her to run away. She shook her head, but Jack eyes were insistent. She couldn't leave him, she had to think of something. She looked around for something to fight them with, when she felt cold steel on the back of her neck.

"Going somewhere?" Sam dropped the knife into her pocket and raised her hands and stood up. The guard pushed her forward and yelled over to Jose, "Hey, look who I found wandering the halls."

Jose closed his phone and turned to Sam and the guard, "How did she get out? Where's Tino?" The guard just shrugged his shoulders. Jose roared at him, "Well, go find him!" He ran off down the hall.

Sam mouthed, "I'm sorry" to Jack, who just closed his eyes and put his head down. Then he lifted it and smiled at her. If this was it, he wanted her to die knowing that she wasn't alone in this.

A scream came from down the hall, "Jose, we're surrounded!" The guard sent to check on Tino came running back into the room. "I saw them on the roof next door and there's SWAT guys outside all the windows."

Jose looked panicked. He grabbed Sam and used her body as a shield, putting his gun up to her temple. "Who did you call, bitch?" Sam was getting really tired of having guns up to her head. She slipped her hand into her pocket and tightened her fist around the knife as he pulled them back against the wall. He ordered the others to check the windows and corroborate the story. Jack's guard also pulled him close in an attempt to claim him as a hostage.

Temple sat at the perimeter with a marksman from the LA SWAT unit with a scope. When he saw the guard come to the window and look out, he motioned for him to fire. The bullet spun out of the rifle and broke through the window, killing the man instantly before he even heard the report. CTU and SWAT heard the signal and stormed the house.

Jose's eyes widened when he saw the guard fall to the floor, dead. Sam took the opportunity and reached back and stabbed him in the stomach. He let go of her and clutched his belly as police officers held him at gunpoint. Sam fell to the ground and covered her head.

Jack seized the chaotic moment and spun out of the guard's grasp and threw his arms over his head and began to choke him with the chain of the handcuffs. The guard dropped his weapon and pulled at the chain around his neck. Several CTU field agents covered the man while Temple ran over to him, "Jack, let go, we got him." The rest of Salazar's henchmen had already given up, as they knew they were completely outgunned.

Jack released his grip on the man and put his hands up. Temple walked up to him and put his arm around Jack's shoulders, "See, I told you, nothing to worry about." Temple unlocked Jack's hands as he looked around for Sam.

Jack frantically searched the room filled with police and CTU personnel. "Where is she? Sam?"

Sam called out from her position on the floor, "Down here."

Jack ran to her and kneeled down next to her, "Sweetheart, are you ok?"

She smiled up at him and put her hand on her head, "Yeah, just a little dizzy." He leaned over and kissed her deeply and brushed her hair back from her face. "I told you to run."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't going to leave you." Jack kissed her again.

Temple walked over and grinned down at them, "Oh, would you guys just get a room."


	43. Chapter 43

Sam laughed up at Temple, "Don't make me laugh, it hurts. Thanks for finding us, James. I owe you."

"They're starting to add up. So does this mean that we're partners now?"

"Let's just take it one step at a time." Sam turned her head back to Jack and the smile fell from her face, "Oh my god, you have blood on your pants, are you hurt?"

Jack looked down and brushed at his pants, "No, it's Gibson's."

"Gibson. What happened?"

"I'll explain later, the paramedics are here." He pointed at her shirt, where the bandages had soaked through with blood, "Looks like you opened your wound."

Sam lay back and put her hands over her eyes, "That guard came into my room. I stabbed him and pulled him in the closet. He was heavy, I must have torn it then." Her hands started shaking as her actions over the past hour rushed back to her, "I've shot perps before, but I've never killed someone so close, so personally." Jack took her hand in his. "I had to do it, he would have raped me."

"I know honey. It's ok." He let go of her hand and let the paramedics attend to her. At least her life wasn't in danger this time. He turned to Temple, "I'm going to the hospital with her. Can you mop up here? Oh, and don't forget about the guy in the closet."

Temple smiled at him, "Yeah, sure. I'll have your car dropped off there later."

Jack put out his hand, "Thanks again. I hope we can work again together sometime. You're a good agent, Temple."

Temple grinned back at him, "Thanks, Jack." He turned his head, not looking Jack in the eyes, "So, what's going to happen with you and Murphy?"

Jack teased, "What do you want, like a play by play?"

"No, I just don't want to see her get hurt." He pointed his finger in Jack's face and took a serious tone, "You better not hurt her Bauer, or I'll have to kick your ass."

Jack grabbed his finger and pulled it back just before inflicting pain, and smiled at Temple. "Is that right?"

Temple bent his knees to take some of the pressure off his finger, and stuttered, "Y—yeah."

Jack let go and laughed, "I have no intention of hurting her, ok?"

Temple straightened his jacket, "That's what I thought." Neither he nor Jack could keep a straight face.

A paramedic approached Jack, "Sir, we're transferring Agent Murphy now."

Jack nodded at him, "Yeah, thanks." He turned to Temple, "See you later Junior." Temple laughed as Jack joined the paramedics in the back of the ambulance. He caressed her cheek, "Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok. I don't need to go to the hospital."

She tried to sit up, but winced in pain when Jack pushed her back down. "No way, Samantha. You're going to go the hospital and get checked out if I have to carry you there myself. Just be a good patient and lay down, and then we'll go home. Ok?"

Sam nodded obediently. She smiled as Jack grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Jack, we need to talk about—"

"Not now. I promise we'll talk later." He leaned over and kissed her lightly.

While Sam was being examined at the hospital, Jack went to get a cup of coffee and stood outside of her room, watching. He turned around when he heard his name, "Agent Bauer?"

It was Terri, the nurse who had stayed with him when Sam fought for her life. "Hi. How are you?"

She looked him up and down, "I should ask you that. You have blood on you, are you ok?"

He turned back to the window. "Yeah, it's not mine." He pointed to the door. "Sam's wound opened, she's just getting it sewn up now."

Terri smiled at Jack, "I'm glad it's nothing too serious, this time." She paused for a minute and examined his face. Finally, she spoke in a soft voice, "You must really love her."

Jack looked at her with surprise, "Excuse me?"

The nurse pointed at the window towards Sam, "Agent Murphy. Does she know how you feel?"

Jack lowered his head and studied the white industrial linoleum floor. "I don't know."

"Well, if I've learned anything from working here for the past ten years," she gently laid her hand on his shoulder, "I know that we only have so long on this earth. I've seen the way you look at her. If you love her, let her know. You should grab onto whatever love you can find in this world and don't let go."

Jack lifted his head and connected his eyes with hers. He offered her a small smile, "Thanks."

"Sure, I'll check in on you guys in a little while."


	44. Chapter 44

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to carry me?" Sam asked as Jack opened the door and picked her up out of the passenger seat of the truck.

He set her down at the bottom of the stairs, "Ok, be my guest, you can walk up yourself." He started to climb the stairs and said over his shoulder, "I'll see you in about an hour then."

Sam chuckled, "All right, you win. Carry me."

He turned around and scooped her back up and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You better learn this now. I always win."

"No, I'm letting you win, Bauer, there's a difference." Jack carried her into the apartment and set her gently on the couch. "I could win if I wanted to, but I don't want to right now."

Jack laughed and nodded, "Uh huh. Ok, sweetheart, I'll take you up on that bet as soon as you're better. You, me and the shooting range. Winner gets to pick what the loser has to do."

"Very interesting. You got yourself a deal." She put out her hand and he shook it. "Now, I just have to figure out what I'm going to make you do. Hmmm..."

Jack sat down next to her and put his arm around her, "Don't hurt yourself thinking, honey, because I'm going to win."

Sam laughed painfully, but she didn't add that she was ranked first on the shooting range from her class at Quantico. No need to tip her hand just yet, she would prove who was better. "Ow, it hurts, now stop making me laugh. Can you get my medication, please?"

Jack handed it over, "Thanks." She took the pill and leaned back on the couch, "I am so glad that this is finally all over. Salazar, Gibson, everything." When Jack didn't respond, she asked, "It is all over, right? You're not keeping anything from me are you?"

"What? No. It's over. Henry is dead. Salazar is dead. Gibson is dead. There's no one left to hurt you."

"Wait a minute, Gibson is dead? I thought you interrogated him at CTU."

Jack shook his head, leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "He never made it over there. Our transport got hit, Charlie Crocker's car exploded in front of me. Gibson grabbed my gun and committed suicide."

Sam touched his arm, "Oh god, Jack, I'm sorry. I didn't think he would ever do that. He has a wife and an eleven-year-old daughter. I've met them. How could he do that?" Sam's eyes pleaded with Jack's for an answer.

He broke their gaze and looked down. However, he didn't have one to give, and answered quietly. "I don't know. He said he'd ruined his life. He probably thought they were better off without him."

"Did you ever feel that way?"

A faraway look settled across his face, "Yeah, I did."

The silence was deafening to Sam's ears. "Jack?"

"What? Yeah. Um, you ok for a minute, I'm going to go take a shower." Jack stood up and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Yeah, sure. Are you ok Jack?"

He leaned over and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I'm fine, I just need a shower."

Sam only nodded. Jack was holding something back, she was sure of that. But what? The pain medicine was kicking in and her eyelids were getting heavy, so Sam went to the bedroom to rest. As she sat down, she noticed the bedside table drawer was still ajar from when she had hurriedly grabbed the knife earlier this morning. Was it just this morning? It already seemed so long ago.

She picked up the picture of Jack and Teri and studied it again, when Jack came out of the bathroom toweling off his hair. He didn't spot Sam on the bed when he yelled, "Sam, are you hungry?"

Sam froze like a deer in headlights, with the picture still in her hand. Jack turned and noticed her there, then his eyes settled on the picture. He put his hands over his eyes and rubbed them, then kneeled in front of Sam, taking the picture and setting it aside. "Sam, I guess it's time we had that talk."

By the look on his face, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. The thought of losing him was just too much to bear right now. "Jack, I'm really tired, can we just do this tomorrow?"

Jack threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. When he turned to her, she thought he looked almost hurt, but he relented, "Sure, why don't you get some rest. I'll be in the other room." He bent over and kissed her forehead and turned to leave.

She grabbed his hand, "Will you stay until I fall asleep? Please."

He couldn't resist those big blue eyes. He smiled at her and said, "Yeah, sure. But you start snoring and I'm outta here."

---------------

Note: Two chapters left to this story - I'll try to put them up tomorrow. But I have already started on a sequel, so there will be further adventures for Jack, Sam and Temple


	45. Chapter 45

Sam again woke up wrapped up in Jack's arms. She loved these precious moments in the morning before he woke up and pulled away from her. It felt safe, warm, and even natural, almost as if they had been together for years instead of weeks. They fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle, at least in Sam's assessment. She wasn't sure of Jack's thoughts on this particular subject, because he had been skirting the issue for several days now. Every time she tried to bring it up, something would interrupt them before they could discuss it; CTU called, visitors arrived or Sam would be too tired to pursue it.

But now it was Saturday, five days after that fateful day when this nightmare with Salazar finally ended. Sam made up her mind that she wouldn't let another day pass without talking to Jack about their future, if in fact there was one. She hoped so. He had been thoughtful, considerate, and attentive to her, but he had kept his distance, too. He didn't touch her and the only moves he'd made were chaste kisses to her forehead or cheek. Given what they had already done, she was more confused than ever.

She nudged him until his eyes opened and he groaned, "What? Ok, ok, I'm awake." He released his hold on her, but planted a small kiss on her forehead.

Sam decided the best way to bridge the topic was to gauge how much he wanted her around. "Jack, I think it's time that I go back to my own apartment. I feel much better now. I can take care of myself. I'm just cramping your style here."

Jack's face fell and he rubbed his eyes, "If that's what you want." He couldn't make her stay if she didn't want to be here.

She guessed he didn't want her if he could let her leave so easily. Sam's defensive mode kicked in, "I'm just in your way. It's not like we're really living together or anything. You don't have to protect me anymore."

He tried to deflect the serious mood with humor, "I like having you around, you cook better than I do."

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, and her frustration came out in her tone. "Thanks Bauer, I'm glad I'm good for something. And I don't think ordering in counts as cooking."

Jack wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the mouth, hoping he could coax her out of this abrupt bad mood. "Mmm, you're good for a lot more than cooking."

Sam pushed his arms away and got up, "Damnit Jack!"

Jack threw his arms back above his head, looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Sam, what's this all about?"

"Are you serious? Are you really that dense, Jack?" When Jack just looked back at her with wide, innocent eyes, she couldn't suppress her anger. "You are such a goddamn man!" Sam got off the bed, found her bag and began to stomp around the room packing her things.

Her explosion dumbfounded Jack. He couldn't understand what had triggered this, he thought they were getting along great, he loved spending time with her and sharing his life with someone again. He simply watched in shock from the bed as she packed her bag.

Sam looked back at Jack before she left the room, her bag slung over her shoulder. "I can't believe I thought I was in lov..." She caught herself before she finished and let the end of the sentence hang, sighed and turned around to leave.

"Sam! Don't go." The desperation was evident in his voice, he couldn't lose her now, not after everything they had been through. He wasn't going to let her get away this easily. Sam stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. "Please, let's talk."

She still didn't turn around, but lowered her head and replied softly. "I've been trying to talk to you. Just forget it, Bauer. It's just not worth it, it's too late."

"What? What's too late?" When Sam didn't answer him, he hit the bed with his fist and yelled at her back, "Goddamit Sam, don't be a coward and run away. Talk to me!"

This time Sam did turn around, anger burned in her eyes, "I'm not the coward. I'm not the one who hides behind the memory of my dead wife so I have an excuse not to get close to someone."

"Don't!" He stood up and crossed over to her.

"What, did I hit a nerve Jack? It's about time you showed a little emotion about something, too bad I'm not Teri, huh?"

Jack's jaw tightened as he searched her eyes, trying to figure out what he did to warrant this attack. "Samantha, what's wrong? Where's this coming from?"

"I won't let you use me Jack."

"Use you? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You basically admitted that's all I'm good for."

Jack laughed and ran his hands through his hair. Sam glared at him, "I'm glad I amuse you too. I guess that's another thing I'm good for." She picked her bag back up, "Goodbye, Jack."

He put his head down and said simply, "Sam, I'm falling in love with you."

Sam stopped again and put her hand over her mouth. She spoke barely above a whisper, "What did you say?"

"I said I am falling in love with you."

Sam pivoted on her toes slowly and locked her eyes with Jack's. "Wha—why did you...?"

He closed the distance between them and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "I think you are the most beautiful, bravest, strongest, most exasperating, confusing woman I've ever met. I'm crazy about you."

Although Sam's heart was beating wildly in her chest at his sudden profession of love, she put her hands on her hips and demanded explanation. "If that's true, then why have you been avoiding me all week?"

He smiled at her and placed his hands on either side of her face, leaned over and brushed his lips to hers, "I was giving you space to heal. I didn't think you wanted me attacking you when you were in pain. And I think you are good for much more than cooking and sex, although they don't hurt."

Sam smiled back at him. "You really need to work on your communication skills Bauer."

"Hey, I tried to talk to you about this a while ago, but you were too tired. I thought I would give you some room, and talk rationally when you were ready. Apparently, you can't talk rationally."

She took his face in her hand and squeezed, "Watch it Bauer. I still have a gun. And why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I guess I should have. I don't want you to leave Sam. I like spending time with you, I like waking up with you. I want you in my life." He pulled her into a tight hug. "I don't want to lose you, Samantha Murphy."

Sam held onto him and rested her head on his shoulder, "So what does this mean?"

He pulled back and looked at her, "I honestly don't know. I can't guarantee anything right now, but I know that I just love being with you and I want to spend time with you."

Sam knew that was the best answer she was likely to get for now. "Ok, I can accept that. But I have to know one thing." Jack nodded at her to continue. "Do you trust me? Because if you don't, I swear I'll walk out the door right now and never look back."

He studied her face for a moment, "Yeah, I do."

She smiled at him and traced her finger along a scar on his chin. "Thank you. And I'm sorry about what I said before, I didn't mean to hurt you, I was upset."

"I know." He let go of her and sat down on the couch. He addressed the floor when he talked, he just couldn't look her in the eyes. "I've lost people I loved in the past because I couldn't be completely truthful with them for one reason or another. I don't want that to happen again." He took a deep breath before continuing. "You have to understand something about me. I'm not the man you think I am. I've done and seen awful things. I'm a killer and a drug-addict, not to mention a terrible father and husband. There will be things I won't be able to share with you. But I never want to hurt you, and I'm afraid that I might." He fought back the sting of tears behind his eyes, finally admitting the naked truth about himself to someone he loved was a painful revelation.

A tear slid down Sam's cheek as she listened to his confession. She knew this was difficult for him, and loved him even more for having the courage to confide in her. She kneeled in front of him and kissed him tenderly. "Jack, I think you are exactly the man I think you are, a good man. And I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose, but I'm willing to take that risk. You're worth it to me." She sat on his lap and hugged him tightly, "I'm falling in love with you too, Jack Bauer. So, what are you going to do about it?"

Jack wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and gazed into Sam's eyes. "This." He leaned his forward to meet her lips and kissed her passionately.


	46. Chapter 46

Sam returned his kiss with equal passion. All of the frustration she had felt only moments ago had melted and was replaced with desire, desire that had been buried for so long, only recently awoken by Jack.

She felt his body harden against hers as they kissed and his hands explored her body. He broke the kiss long enough to nibble her earlobe and whisper into her ear, "I want you."

Sam laughed wickedly and ran her fingers through his hair, "Hmm, want or need?" She pulled his head to hers and kissed him deeply.

He groaned, "Both." He pulled her close and scooted forward to stand up.

"You're carrying me again."

"Yeah, I am. Is that a problem?"

"Nope. I kinda like it. Now carry me into the bedroom, Mr. Bauer."

Jack laughed and brushed his lips across hers, "So, you're ok to..." He stopped in the hallway and said with concern, "I don't want to hurt you."

She smiled seductively, "I'm fine, just be gentle."

He kissed her nose and set her down on the bed, slid her shoes off and began to rub her feet. She moaned with pleasure, she had never had someone take care of her or worry about her in all her life as much as Jack had in the past couple of weeks. She could really get used to this.

He moved over her and unfastened her pants and pulled them off. His hands moved over to her legs and massaged them too, placing kisses along the way. Sam tried to sit up, "Jack, stop teasing me and get over here."

He gently pushed her back down, "Nope. I've waited this long, I'm not going to rush it. Now lay back and relax."

Sam locked eyes with him for a moment, then smiled and lay back. Jack continued his magnificent torture, removing clothing from each of them along the way until he reached the still-healing scar on her chest. He outlined it with his finger and kissed it tenderly. Sam was completely relaxed yet trembling with pent-up desire at the same time. Jack's arms were braced on the bed over her shoulders, his eyes gazing into hers. She tried to speak, but it only came out as a whisper, "Jack, I—"

He put his finger over her lips, "Shh." He traced her lips with his finger and then with his lips. "You're beautiful, Samantha."

Sam tried to end the torment and pull him down to meet her waiting body, but he resisted her. He kissed and caressed her until she couldn't take anymore, he had driven her to the point that she thought she would die if she didn't have him now. He finally relented and gave in to his own pulsating needs and lowered himself down onto her, careful not to put any pressure on her wound.

She bit her lip to keep from screaming out when he entered her. Jack kept the pace slow, despite Sam's urgent need for a quick release, until they both climaxed. Sam pulled Jack into a tight embrace; she wasn't ready to break the intimate connection they had finally formed just yet. She sighed contentedly and silently thanked Jack for not letting her walk out of his life.

THE END (for now)  
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Note: Look for the sequel to this coming soon, called "Obstacles". I hope you have enjoyed this story and thank you to everyone who read it and commented, I really appreciate it.


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